DIFFICULTIES OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES 



the success of a pre-planned epidemiological study of this question. 

 From the perusal of medical records, it appears that a military 

 population on maneuvers or in combat in a cold climate could be used 

 for such investigations. It would be necessary to obtain definite in- 

 formation about the kind and degree of environmental exposure. 

 Documentation of the diagnosis and treatment of various infections 

 is now fairly standardized. 



It is enough to indicate that I failed in the first approach to find a 

 relation between exposure to cold and human infection, and that the 

 information which was available may favor a different approach. To 

 extend myself further would jeopardizemy inherently unstable posi- 

 tion by presuming to tell someone how his research should be done. 

 For the problem passes from the range of studies possible with 

 Veterans Administration r ecords intothe interest of those engaged in 

 field studies. 



Now, having spoken for about five of the forty minutes that the 

 program allocated to this topic, I shall make my only significant 

 contribution to this symposium by sitting down and making more 

 time available for discussion of the substantive papers. 



13 



