1919] on Medicine and the War 439 



and incurable invalids. This one investigation in one year saved to 

 the country a sum more than equivalent to the total upkeep for the 

 war of the Medical Research Committee. 



It must be recalled that this was one of only very numerous 

 activities fostered by that Committee. Time forbids that I should 

 wholly enter into the good work of that body. Did an emergency 

 arise, they forthwith brought together a group of those most 

 interested and most qualified to advise regarding the problem to be 

 solved. Instead of each worker remaining isolated in his own 

 laboratory, and pursuing his own line of work and ideas irrespective 

 of the work of others, these men came together, freely discussed 

 each other's views and suggestions, advised regarding the best 

 methods of attacking the problem, suggested the best men to be 

 entrusted with investigations, received their reports, discussed their 

 results, called for further evidence, analysed and published reports 

 regarding progress, and sent out prospectuses for collective investi- 

 gations throughout the country and the army. Some workers they 

 have supported for their whole time ; others they have aided by 

 grants and instruments. 



I can but indicate some of the many directions in which the 

 Medical Research Committee has been of service : the publication of 

 a monthly " Medical Supplement," giving abstracts of all important 

 progress upon war medicine and surgery ; the collection of material 

 for a medical museum of the war ; the collection of material for a 

 medical history of the war ; the provision of charts and tables for 

 the orderly study of various orders of cases ; provision, laboratory and 

 otherwise, for the co-operative study of such conditions as cerebro- 

 spinal fever, influenza, trench fever, dysentery ; or again, of the food 

 a,nd dietaries of munition workers, the hygiene of the factory, and 

 industrial fatigue ; standardisation of drugs like salvarsan ; develop- 

 ment of new drugs such as emetin-bismuthous oxide and eusol, 

 chloramine, acriflavine ; bacteriological methods of diagnosis of 

 disease ; wound infections ; transfusion of blood ; results of gassing ; 

 the physiology of airmen and effects of high altitude ; and so on. 



In this way a wonderful and effective amount of good work has 

 been accomplished for the benefit of the sick and wounded, and for 

 the improved health of the army, and indeed of the nation. 



^Ye ended the war with the realisation of what research and team 

 work can accomplish for the public good, and with a confidence that 

 the medical profession can surely bring about a yet greater revolu- 

 tion in the future for the benefit and the well-being of our people. 

 Thanks to the war, that profession has gained the confidence of the 

 people. A new era is before us : the health of our people must be the 

 foremost consideration of the Government ; one in which the medical 

 man will be given a position as responsible leader such as he has 

 never possessed. 



[G. A.] 



Vol. XXII. (No. 113) 2 h 



