86 Biology in America 



expense of only about $6,000 annually. In addition to this it 

 publishes a card index with a brief abstract of every article 

 published in its journals as well as in several published else- 

 where. 



In 1901 there was established in New York City an institu- 

 tion unique in character and destined to do more in alleviating 

 human suffering than any other institution in America. While 

 the Rockefeller Institute was founded primarily for medical 

 research, its department of experimental biology under the 

 direction of Jacques Loeb is devoted to the study of biology 

 pure and simple, and is furnishing biologists with an ample 

 supply of food for thought as well as controversy. Its de- 

 partments of physiology, bacteriology and protozoology have 

 also made invaluable contributions to biological science. In 

 the field of medicine proper the unique feature of the institu- 

 tion is a splendid hospital, in charge of a staff of highly 

 trained experts, the majority of whom are devoting their 

 entire time to this work, concentrating their efforts at any 

 given time on special diseases and with the resources of the 

 experimental laboratory at their command. 



Thus far the diseases selected have been of common 

 occurrence, including some of the worst scourges of man, such 

 as infantile paralysis, syphilis, pneumonia and spinal menin- 

 gitis. Bulletins are issued at intervals by the director of the 

 hospital informing physicians of the diseases selected for 

 study at any given time. 



Patients are admitted to the hospital from all classes of 

 people, rich and poor alike, without charge. In some cases 

 however wealthy patients have been permitted to donate 

 money to the hospital in recognition of their indebtedness for 

 its services. But although the services of the institution are 

 freely given, and while its primary function is the study of 

 disease, the right of the patient to receive the best possible 

 treatment is fully recognized, and no one on entering the 

 Institute surrenders in any way his right to such treatment. 



An important feature of the Institute's work is the publi- 

 cation of the "Journal of Experimental Medicine," which is 

 one of the leading medical journals in this country, and in- 

 cludes in its pages much material of primarily biological in- 

 terest as well. 



In addition to its studies upon human diseases the Institute 

 maintains a department of animal pathology at Princeton, 

 N. J., where animal diseases are being investigated. 



There are many other institutions in America devoted to 

 the study of special diseases, such as the Henry Phipps Insti- 

 tute of Philadelphia for the study of tuberculosis and the 

 Barnard Free Skin and Cancer Hospital of St. Louis. Their 



