86 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1204 



relative values of health work has estimated 

 the value of food sanitation (exclusive of 

 milk) at 10 on a scale of 1,000. He adds : 



The small value here assigned may arouse pro- 

 test, but who will argue that the laboratory is not 

 five times as important, or baby nurses eight times 

 as important, or the direct control of contagious 

 diseases ten times as important as is food sanita- 

 tion? 



The prevention of food-borne infection 

 at present can be best effected by (1) thor- 

 'ough heating, includiag especially milk pas- 

 teurization ; (2) employment of healthy 

 ipersons for food preparation and serving; 

 ((3) examination of food animals at or 

 shortly before slaughter; (4) general 

 cleanliness of surroundings where food is 

 prepared or served; (5) use of food in a 

 fresh condition. Edwin 0. Jordan 



■University of Chicago 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



THE GENERAL MEDICAL BOARD OF THE 



COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE 



The general medical board of the Council 

 of National Defense held a regular stated meet- 

 ing in Washington on January 13. The meet- 

 ing was an unusually enthusiastic one, even 

 despite the fact that not a few members caught 

 snowbound in the blizzard en route were un- 

 able to reach Washington on schedule time. 

 The following members responded to the roll 

 call: Dr. Franklin Martin, member of the ad- 

 visory commission of the council, chairman; 

 Dr. W. F. Snow, secretary; Surgeon General 

 William C. Gorgas; Surgeon General William 

 0. Braisted; Eear Admiral Gary T. Grayson; 

 Dr. Victor C. Vaughan; Dr. William H. 

 Welch; Dr. Thomas S. OuUen; Dr. Edward P. 

 Davis; Dr. Eobert L. Dickinson; Dr. Philip 

 Schuyler Doane; Dr. Joseph Rilus Eastman; 

 Dr. John G. Clark; Dr. Duncan Eve, Sr.; Dr. 

 S. McC. HamiU; Dr. W. H. G. Logan; Dr. 

 Fred Bates Lund; Dr. John D. McLean; Dr. 

 Eosalie Slaughter Morton; Miss M. Adelaide 

 Nutting; Dr. Albert J. Ochsner; Dr. Hubert 

 A. Royster; Dr. J. Bentley Squier; Dr. George 

 David Stewart, and Dr. W. C. Woodward. 



For the Army, Colonel Deane C. Howard, 

 dealt at length with the recent perturbing epi- 

 demics of measles and pneumonia, but fur- 

 nished the comforting news that both of these 

 epidemics were at the present moment under 

 adequate control. The admission rate for the 

 past week was lower than it had been in some 

 time, and it was hoped that both morbidity and 

 mortality would in the very near future show 

 a corresponding drop. Colonel Howard also 

 pointed out the satisfactory status of the troops 

 in regard to the venereal problem. 



Admiral WiUiam C. Braisted, for the Navy, 

 furnished assurance that the health conditions 

 were all that could be desired, considering the 

 factor of seasonal disease. The Navy also has 

 been troubled with pneumonia, and was not a 

 little concerned regarding the question of 

 meningitis. Admiral Braisted expressed great 

 gratification over the fact that his request for 

 a meningitis segregation camp in Florida had 

 been granted. It is hoped to isolate in this 

 camp all meningitis carriers, and to care for 

 them until they are once again safe and serv- 

 iceable individuals. 



Dr. Joseph Sehereschewsky, for the Public 

 Health Service, submitted a report detailing 

 the health conditions in the various canton- 

 ment zones and what the Public Health Serv- 

 ice has been doing to maintain these various 

 zones in a state of good health. 



Dr. T. Clark, who reported for the Red 

 Cross, described the establishment of the four 

 sanitary units that are cooperating with the 

 other sanitary forces of the government in a 

 most worthy attempt to aid in the mainte- 

 nance of a high tone of public health, in addi- 

 tion to cooperating with those officials con- 

 cerned in the direct maintenance of a low 

 morbidity rate in the Army and Navy proper. 

 Dr. Clark made it perfectly plain that the 

 Red Cross was glad and willing to expend all 

 that was legitimately necessary to accomplish 

 any worthy purpose. If more than the present 

 appropriation called for were needed, it would 

 be forthcoming. If less were needed, there 

 would naturally be a curtailment. 



Major William F. Snow reinforced the 

 earlier remarks of Colonel Howard on the prob- 



