Future of Infectious and Malignant Diseases 
HILARY KOPROWSKI 
Kreuzigen sollte man jeden Propheten im dreiszigsten Jahre; 
Kennt er nur einmal die Welt, wird der Betrogne der Schelm. 
GOETHE: Venetianische Epigramme 
of summarizing the future of infectious and malignant 
diseases, it has become quite obvious to me that only a 
very perfunctory panorama of the future can be presented 
within the space allowed. Rather than indulge in generalities, 
I shall attempt to show with a few examples the problem of 
infectious and malignant diseases as we see them today and as 
we may project them into the future. 
A LTHOUGH I have agreed to undertake the impossible task 
THE BATTLEFRONT 
ce 
... and Ido not believe that there were any 
such diseases in the days of Asclepius.”’ 
PLATO: Republic, Boox III 
Our forebears who lived during the period of the industrial 
revolution witnessed the occurrence of enormous upheavals 
in the environment of man, which in turn made conditions 
ideal for the massive spread of infectious diseases. Between 
their time and ours the battle against diseases, carried out 
mainly through the correction of these upsets, resulted in the 
temporary arrest of the spread of many infectious diseases. 
At present this spread is mainly controlled through improve- 
ments in environmental sanitary procedures such as food inspec- 
tion, purification of drinking water, and the like. A minor part 
is played by other measures directed against specific infections, 
particularly those of bacterial origin. 
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