82 PHYSIOLOGY AND NATIONAL NEEDS 



of applying physiological knowledge to find out 

 wliat is different from the normal action in every 

 case — in fact, a Clinical Physiologist. 



The physiological methods of studying disease 

 cannot better be illustrated than by giving one or 

 two examples. 



I shall first take two from our recent war 

 experience, and finally one from ordinary medical 

 practice. 



I. Gassing 



Every one remembers the wave of horror that 

 swept over the country in April 1915 when we 

 heard of the hideous suffering inflicted by the first 

 gas attack by the Germans. When thousands of 

 our poor fellows were brought in, enduring agonies 

 from this new devilment of war, the doctors in 

 charge were faced with something of which they 

 had no knowledge, something which they knew 

 not how to relieve. The first thing was to find 

 to what the distressing symptoms were due, in 

 order that either the cause might in some way be 

 directly counteracted, or that, if the primary 

 disturbance could not be counteracted, some 

 measures might be devised by which the patient 

 might be temporarily relieved till nature had time 

 to re-establish more normal conditions. 



Haldane, a physiologist, was sent out. His 

 brilliant researches upon normal breathing and 



