viii CONQUEST OF DISEASE 233 



selves with subjects far removed from the ordinary 

 affairs of life ; they may be tolerated, but they are 

 not to be encouraged. But now that biting flies have 

 been shown to be responsible for the transmission of a 

 number of terrible diseases, knowledge which was con- 

 sidered quite useless has proved to be of the greatest 

 importance. There could not be a better illustration 

 of the ultimate value of faithful scientific work. Take 

 this lesson to heart ; whatever is worth doing is worth 

 doing well. Every addition to knowledge is a stepping- 

 stone by which the human race can pass to new regions 

 of discovery. Science asks not for words, but work ; 

 for the patient study of the things before us rather than 

 for dreams and vague speculations. Listen to the 

 trumpet-call of a naturalist and philosopher, whose 

 labours for many years " to search out the secrets of 

 nature by the way of experiment " have made life 

 happier and surer in many parts of the world : 



We must not accept any speculations merely because they 

 now appear pleasant, nattering, or ennobling to us. We must 

 be content to creep upwards step by step, planting each foot 

 on the firmest rinding of the moment, using the compass and such 

 other instruments as we have, observing without either despair 

 or contempt the clouds and precipices above and beneath us. 

 Especially our duty at present is to better our present foothold ; 

 to investigate ; to comprehend the forces of nature ; to set our 

 State rationally in order ; to stamp down disease in body, mind, 

 and government ; to lighten the monstrous misery of our fellows, 

 not by windy dogmas, but by calm science. Sir Eonald Ross. 



