32 Kansas Academy of Science. 



servance of bacteriological principles. Attention to the source and care, 

 and especially the prevention of contamination of the food and drink 

 of the child, have been some of the main measures. The partial elimina- 

 tion of the house fly is a probable factor. 



But to limit this address we shall next consider as briefly as w^e well 

 can the part this science has had in the present world catastrophe. It 

 is indeed an ill wind that blows no good. The desperate need of pro- 

 tective and curative bacteriological practices ; the large number of the 

 world's best bacteriologists and other scientists who have turned their 

 greatest efforts along these lines, and the vast amount of clinical ma- 

 terial upon which to practice, have resulted in great advances that 

 shall prove blessings of the highest order to mankind for many years 

 to come. 



The definite cause of typhus fever has probably been isolated and a 

 severe epidemic in Serbia was put down by Dr. Strong and his helpers. 

 This is a bright page in the war. Cerebrospinal fever, or meningitis, 

 has been largely mastered through treatment, and through prevention, by 

 the discovery of and isolation of carriers. The struggle with pneu- 

 monia has not been as encouraging, although the situation is fairly well 

 in hand in the army cantonments. Trench fever has appeared. It is 

 never fatal, but is very painful and lowers the efficiency of the troops 

 considerably. But little other than the symptoms is known about it. 

 The cause seems to be in the red blood corpuscles, but no germ has 

 been reported at this writing. There is much speculation as to its 

 origin. It has probably been introduced by some of the soldiers from 

 the widely scattered regions from which troops have come. It is pre- 

 sumed that lice have something to do in its transmission from the sick 

 to the well. 



Gonorrhea and syphilis have received a great amount of attention 

 both in this country and abroad. Serious conditions have been reported 

 both in our cantonments and at the various fighting fronts. The peril 

 to future generations is great unless some radical improvement in con- 

 ditions is brought about. Conditions in France have been aggravated 

 by the fact that large numbers of women have been rendered dependent 

 by the exigencies of the war. American soldiers abroad are particularly 

 endangered through the fact that they receive by far the largest pay 

 of any of the soldiers fighting there. A startling announcement was 

 made from Philadelphia recently. Dr. Simon Flexner claims to have 

 found a new cure for syphilis, "A, 189," an improvement over salvarsan. 

 It is reported to cost six cents per dose, while the latter is quoted at 

 three dollars for a similar amount. At the same time Dr. Mentzler, also 

 of the Rockefeller Institute, announced a new cure for tetanus. It 

 contains magnesium sulphate. The number of cases of lockjaw have 

 already been greatly reduced, that is, from thirty-two per thousand of 

 wounded to two or less per thousand. This has been brought about 

 through the protective inoculation of every wounded soldier with tetanus 

 antitoxin as soon as possible ofter receiving the wound. This does not 

 shed any light on the magnesium sulphate method. I found no data 

 upon it. "Gas gangrene" from B. welchii has been very prevalent and 



