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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1929 
  

  

  that 
  level 
  will 
  lead 
  to 
  poor 
  health 
  and 
  weak 
  vitality. 
  Knowledge 
  

   comes 
  to 
  us 
  of 
  the 
  means 
  whereby 
  the 
  high 
  level 
  may 
  be 
  kept 
  un- 
  

   impaired. 
  The 
  most 
  important 
  sources 
  from 
  which 
  we 
  can 
  absorb 
  

   high 
  energy 
  are 
  fresh 
  food 
  and 
  ultra-violet 
  light. 
  From 
  the 
  one 
  we 
  

   learn 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  the 
  rapid 
  distribution 
  of 
  our 
  food 
  supply 
  before 
  

   its 
  high 
  energy 
  is 
  lost, 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  we 
  gain 
  a 
  real 
  understanding 
  

   of 
  the 
  benefits 
  of 
  ultra-violet 
  light 
  therapy, 
  and, 
  more 
  important 
  still, 
  

   of 
  the 
  dangers 
  of 
  its 
  misuse. 
  We 
  gain 
  an 
  insight 
  into 
  the 
  chemistry 
  

   of 
  vitamins, 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  light 
  of 
  our 
  new 
  knowledge 
  reveal 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  as 
  stores 
  of 
  high 
  energy, 
  bottled 
  sunshine 
  so 
  to 
  speak, 
  which 
  

   yield 
  their 
  energy 
  to 
  restore 
  and 
  maintain 
  the 
  vitality 
  of 
  decadent 
  

   tissues. 
  A 
  vision 
  thus 
  comes 
  to 
  us 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  chemistry 
  with 
  limits 
  

   far 
  flung 
  beyond 
  those 
  which 
  constrain 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  to-day, 
  a 
  

   chemistr}^ 
  which 
  will 
  embrace 
  and 
  coordinate 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  properties 
  

   of 
  inanimate 
  matter 
  upon 
  this 
  earth, 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  wondrous 
  mecha- 
  

   nism 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  man 
  in 
  health 
  and 
  in 
  disease, 
  but 
  in 
  addition 
  the 
  

   stupendous 
  marvels 
  of 
  the 
  birth 
  and 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  worlds 
  outside 
  

   our 
  own. 
  From 
  those 
  who 
  would 
  decry 
  this 
  as 
  a 
  mere 
  speculation 
  I 
  

   beg 
  forgiveness, 
  and 
  plead 
  that 
  speculation 
  based 
  on 
  sure 
  experi- 
  

   mental 
  fact 
  is 
  the 
  life 
  blood 
  of 
  true 
  scientific 
  research. 
  

  

  