56 ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



of one or more of these systems I have placed in an arrange- 

 ment which in my work I have found most natural and desir- 

 able, placing the subjective information first, next information 

 elicited by so-called clinical examinations, next information 

 elicited by laboratory tests, fourth the grouping of the patho- 

 k gical findings according to one's knowledge of the diseases of 

 the separate systems, then the conclusions, and lastly the treat- 

 ment as indicated by the information acquired. 



Referring to the third column in Chart I, under laboratory 

 findings one gets a general idea of the part in the science of 

 medicine to be played by the general scientist. To the man 

 in practice this part of his work has reached a state of progress 

 where it is of so much importance that the larger hospitals 

 have already equipped, and the smaller hospitals will soon find 

 it necessary to equip a special department. 



We have such a department equipped at St. John's Hospital 

 in Springfield, Illinois, the general plan of which is shown in 

 Chart II. In this chart I have endeavored to show graphically 

 the relation of the physician and surgeon to the work of the 

 technician trained in sciences. As you see, the greater propor- 

 tion of this work can easily be done by one having knowledge 

 of the science independent of a medical education. Thus the 

 management of the X-Ray department requires a knowledge of 

 physics, anatomy and electricity, and I believe a person whose 

 interests are centered in these sciences will do more to advance 

 our knowledge of roentgenology than ever will the general 

 practitioner himself. 



In a clinical laboratory we need a bacteriologist, a chemist 

 and a biologist. It is facts and information acquired by spe- 

 cialists in these branches that the man in practice must have in 

 his diagnosis, and for lack of time and technical training can- 

 not obtain. It is therefore to these scientists that we must 

 look for help in acquiring this information in the future. 



To show you more in detail the importance of this, and the 

 amount of work that can be done and is being done, I have 

 arranged a third chart in which the principal procedures are 

 classified and the number of specific tests are recorded in rela- 

 tion to the number of patients. In Chart III the line A. A. illus- 

 trates the indications for the principal laboratory procedures 



