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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



Since the morning of the announcement of 

 the death of the Honorable Joseph H. 

 Choate, last survivor among the founders of 

 the American Museum of Natural History, 

 the life-size portrait painted by the Princess 

 Lwoff-Parlaghy, taken from its permanent 

 place in the Members' Room of the Museum, 

 has hung conspicuously in Memorial Hall 

 above the tablet bearing the names of the 

 founders. It will be remembered that Mr. J, 

 Pierpont Morgan died only four years ago, in 

 April, 1913, and on that occasion Mr. Choate, 

 as the sole survivor, in speaking at the me- 

 morial service in the Museum, touched feel- 

 ingly upon the relations these founders and 

 early promoters had borne to the young 

 Museum. Now with the passing away of the 

 last of this noted assemblage of men, the 

 institution feels itself swept forward into 

 other generations and unknown forces. 

 Building on the impetus that came from this 

 early time, it can only loyally shape its work 

 more and more to meet the scientific and 

 educational needs of the new generations 

 wherever history leads — which today is, un- 

 believably, into the national problems and 

 personal sacrifices of a world war. 



Funeral services for Mr. Anson Wales 

 Hard, a trustee of the American Museum 

 since 1894, were held at 10 o'clock on Friday 

 morning, June 22, in St. Bartholomew's 

 church, Madison Avenue and Forty-fourth 

 Street. Mr. Hard not only served on im- 

 portant committees of the Board of Trustees 

 of the Museum but also made notable addi- 

 tions to the collections of the institution. 

 The American Museum was represented at 

 the funeral by President Henry Fairfield Os- 

 born. Trustee Charles Lanier, and Assistant 

 Secretary George H. Sherwood. 



A SPECIAL meeting held by the president 

 and trustees of the American Museum on the 

 evening of May 23, in the interest of food 

 values and economies and the conservation 

 for war, aroused great interest and dreAv a 

 large audience. President Henry Fairfield 

 Osborn presided, making a brief preliminary 

 address in which he called attention to the 

 fact that this movement is nation wide and 

 is eminently necessary Avhether the war con- 

 tinue for some years or end soon. 



Dr. Graham Lusk, professor of physiology 

 at Cornell University, who w^as the first 

 speaker, gave a very energetic address on 

 "The Conservation of Food Eesources," 



bringing out some new and interesting facts. 

 He stated that the less a man weighs the 

 less food his body requires, so that by taking 

 thought a community may support itself for 

 a long time on a restricted diet. Since the 

 value of all food depends on the number of 

 heat calories which it will produce. Dr. Lusk 

 strongly advocated the labeling of all food 

 packages with the cost per thousand calories, 

 and demonstrated his argument with pack- 

 ages of different kinds of food which he so 

 labeled. He also suggested the payment of 

 Ijounties to men who enlist for farm Avork, 

 in order that the farmer may be sure of get- 

 ting needed help for the harvesting of his 

 crop. The need of body fuel is the dominant 

 factor today, and the food question should 

 have the immediate attention of the au- 

 thorities. Following Dr. Lusk, Dr. Hermann 

 M. Biggs, New York State Commissioner of 

 Health, spoke on "The Waste of Disease in 

 France in Wartime." That modern science 

 has in a large measure overcome the ravages 

 of the diseases that in former times beset 

 armies was brought out, and it was shown 

 that where these means have failed, it has 

 not been because of their inadequacy but 

 from lack of i)roper application. The alarm- 

 ing increase of tuberculosis in France was 

 discussed, and the statement made that if 

 the war should cease now there would be no 

 fewer than 500,000 cases of this dread dis- 

 ease to be dealt Avith in that country. Eng- 

 land suffers less in this respect because of 

 better sanitary conditions both before and 

 during the war. We must face the same 

 problems, and must use the means which 

 science has provided to solve them. Mr. 

 George W. Perkins, chairman of the Mayor's 

 Food Committee, Avas the next speaker. Mr. 

 Perkins emphasized the Avaste of our food 

 resources, discussing the many kinds of 

 Avaste and possible means of controlling 

 them. The Avaste in milk bottles alone in 

 this city is $250,000 a year. Dr. Walter B. 

 James, president of the Ncav York Academy 

 of Medicine, in. a talk on "Our Duty of Life 

 Conservation," called attention to the great 

 prevalence of mental diseases and the large 

 number of soldiers Avho have been sent to 

 the hospitals on this account alone. Lack of 

 proper preliminary examination, as in the 

 case of tuberculosis, is at the bottom of the 

 situation. Dr. James concluded his remarks 

 by urging all present to use their influence 

 toAvard the diffusion of human knowledge, 

 and toAvard the encouragement on the part 



