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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXX. No. 775 



the adoption of well-considered plans for a co- 

 operative movement of the medical profession, 

 public health officials, boards of trade, churches, 

 schools, the press and other agencies for the cure 

 and prevention of this disease. If you deem it 

 wise to undertake this commission I shall be glad 

 to be permitted to work with you to that end and 

 you may call upon me from time to time for such 

 sums as may be needed during the next five years 

 for carrying on an aggressive campaign, up to a 

 total of one million dollars ($1,000,000). 



While it would be a privilege to act in any 

 movement which offers assurance of relieving 

 human suffering, it is a peculiar pleasure to me 

 to feel that the principal activities of your board 

 will be among the people of our southern states. 

 It has been my pleasure of late to spend a portion 

 of each year in the south and I have come to know 

 and to respect greatly that part of our country 

 and to enjoy the society and friendship of many 

 of its warm-hearted people. It will, therefore, be 

 an added gratification to me if in this way I may 

 in some measure express my appreciation of their 

 many kindnesses and hospitalities. 

 Very truly, 



John D. Rockefeller 



The reply was signed by all the members of 

 the commission, and was as follows: 



New Yokk, Oct. 26, 1909. 

 Mk. John D. Rockefeller, 

 New York City. 



Dear Sir: Your generous offer to pay such 

 sums as may be needed during the next five years 

 up to a total of one million dollars to carry on 

 a scientific and popular campaign for eradicating 

 " hookworm disease " has our heartiest approba- 

 tion and we accept your invitation to administer 

 this trust with a keen appreciation of the oppor- 

 tunity that you give us to do a great public good. 

 We have to-day taken steps for organization and 

 incorporated for practical work and have named 

 this board the " Rockefeller Commission for the 

 Eradication of Hookworm Disease." 



The " hookworm " parasites often so lower the 

 vitality of those who are affected as to retard 

 their physical and mental development, render 

 them more susceptible to other diseases, make 

 labor less efficient, and in the sections where the 

 malady is most prevalent, greatly increase the 

 death rate from consumption, pneumonia, typhoid 

 fever and malaria. It has been shown that the 

 lowered vitality of multitudes long attributed to 

 malaria and climate and seriouslj' affecting eco- 



nomic development, is, in fact, largely due in some 

 districts to this parasite. 



The disease is by no means confined to any one 

 class; it takes its toll of suffering and death from 

 the highly intelligent and well-to-do as well as 

 from the less fortunate. It is a conservative esti- 

 mate that two millions of our people are infected 

 by this parasite. The disease is more common 

 and more serious in children of school age than in 

 other persons. Widespread and serious as the 

 infection is, there is a most encouraging outlook. 

 The disease can be easily recognized, readily and 

 effectively treated and by simple and proper sani- 

 tary precautions successfully prevented. The un- 

 dertaking proposed by you is therefore not only 

 full of promise of great benefit, but is eminently 

 definite and practicable. We desire, individually 

 as well as collectively, to thank you for this 

 opportunity to be of service to our fellowmen 

 and we enter upon our task with a deep sense 

 of the responsibility laid upon us. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 

 The National Academy of Sciences will 

 meet at Princeton University, beginning on 

 Tuesday, November 16. 



Birmingham TJniveesity held on October 20 

 its first congregation for the conferring of 

 honorary degrees. The degree of LL.D. was 

 conferred on Mr. Balfour, Mr. Chamberlain, 

 Mr. Andrew Carnegie and other distinguished 

 guests, including the following men of science : 

 Sir William Crookes, Sir Archibald Geikie, 

 Sir Joseph Larmor, Sir Douglas Powell, Sir 

 William Eamsay, Lord Eayleigh, Professor 

 Rutherford, Professor Silvanus Thompson, 

 Professor Tilden and Sir J. J. Thomson. 



At the meeting of the New York Section 

 of the American Chemical Society, on No- 

 vember 5, the Nichols medal will be awarded 

 to Dr. L. H. Baekeland for his papers on " The 

 Synthesis, Constitution and Industrial Appli- 

 cation of Bakelite " and " Soluble and Fusible 

 Resinous Condensation Products of Formalde- 

 hyde and Phenol." 



Mr. Shackleton was presented with a gold 

 medal of the Royal Society of Geography at 

 Brussels and a diploma of honorary member- 

 ship after lecturing before the society on Oc- 

 tober 20. 



