330 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



logy, and pathology, and already many results of 

 importance with reference to the scientific basis of 

 the prevention of disease have been arrived at. And 

 if as yet a panacea for the prevention of many dreaded 

 scourges of humanity has so far baffled endeavour, 

 it is well to remember that science, like art, is long, 

 whilst life is short, and that we are only building the 

 sure foundations upon which the superstructure of 

 knowledge is to be placed. To assist in the prosecution 

 of these endeavours to benefit humanity, Lord Iveagh 

 stepped forward and by the munificent almost unpre- 

 cedented gift of a quarter of a million sterling enabled 

 the Institute, which now bears the honoured name of 

 its president, Lord Lister, to extend its sphere of 

 usefulness in a way that otherwise would have been 

 impossible. 



Among the recent discoveries in preventive medicine 

 none is more important than that of serum therapeutics. 

 Thus it is a well-known fact that many thousands of 

 lives, especially of children, have in the last few years 

 been saved by the use of diphtheric serum. To prepare 

 this serum with every scientific precaution is, of course, 

 of the greatest importance. This work, a sample of many 

 similar operations, is carried on by the Governors of 

 the Lister Institute, at their farm at Elstree, in Hert- 

 fordshire. Two of the Lister laboratories are here 

 shown. As an instance of the beneficent work which 

 the Institute undertakes, I may refer to its recent action 

 in the study of the etiology of the plague in India. 

 Millions of natives have lately died from this disease. 

 Attempts, followed by greater or less success, have 

 been made with various anti-plague sera to cure the 

 disease, or to prevent the attack of the malady. But 

 our knowledge of the mode of propagation of the 

 disease is yet incomplete. How does the poison pass 



