January 25, 1918] 



SCIENCE 



87 



lem of venereal disease in the Army, pointing 

 out how easy it was to misinterpret statistics 

 as applied to this topic, and emphasizing the 

 need for continuous effort in the hope of main- 

 taining the present standard of low morbidity. 



For the Army General William C. Gorgas 

 expressed satisfaction with the present state of 

 health in the Army, although he emphasized 

 the importance of the winter epidemics of 

 measles, pneumonia and meningitis. He cau- 

 tioned against the possible mistake of refer- 

 ring the pneiimonia epidemics solely to the 

 cold weather, and was inclined, rather, to feel 

 that this was only an indirect cause. As a re- 

 sult of winter the men naturally segregate 

 and are more closely housed. This may be the 

 important factor, and not the cold weather 

 itself. The general pointed out how this cer- 

 tainly is the case in smallpox, which is also a 

 oold-weather disease, although not directly re- 

 ferable to winter itself, and how, during his 

 service in the Tropics, he lived through epi- 

 demics of pneumonia among the troops much 

 more severe than those that the Army health 

 authorities are at present combating. 



Major M. G. Seelig explained the principles 

 involved in the daylight saving propaganda, 

 and to aid in the passage of this bill through 

 the House, the following resolution was ap- 

 proved : 



Sesolved, That the general medical board of the 

 Council of National Defense indorse the plan of 

 daylight saving and lend its influence in securing 

 the passage of a law directed toward this end. 



Dr. S. lIcC. Hamill reported for the com- 

 mittee on child welfare. This committee is 

 made up of the following members: Dr. S. 

 McC. Hamill (chairman). Dr. Fritz Talbot, 

 Dr. H. T. Price, Dr. Frederick L. Hoffman, 

 Dr. J. Whitridge Williams, Miss Hannah J. 

 Patterson, Mrs. Josiah E. Cowles, Dr. Grace 

 L. Meigs, Mrs. Stanley McCormick, Miss Ella 

 Phillips Crandall, Miss Julia C. Lathrop, Mr. 

 Philander P. Claxton and Miss Dorothy Pope. 

 They reported that it was decided for the pres- 

 ent to center the attention of the committee 

 on the preparation of a program covering the 

 welfare of the mother, provision of intelligent 

 obstetrical care, and the protection of the life 



and health of the child during its first two 

 years. The program of the committee in full 

 covers all forms of child-welfare work, placing 

 special emphasis upon maternal and infant 

 mortality, and in this relation centering on 

 details of birth registration, prenatal, obstet- 

 rical and infant care. Dr. Hamill presented 

 a resolution directed toward securing the 

 closer cooperation of the medical schools of 

 the country along lines of child-welfare work. 

 This resolution was referred to the executive 

 committee. 



Dr. Francis D. Patterson, chief of the divi- 

 sion of industrial hygiene and engineering, 

 Pennsylvania department of labor and in- 

 dustry, spoke on the subject of reconstruction, 

 detailing at length the experience of England 

 in reconstructing, rehabilitating, and reedu- 

 cating her disabled men. Dr. Patterson 

 pointed out the four distinct lines of effort 

 essential in solving the problem of reconstruc- 

 tion. 1. Medical and surgical treatment of 

 the injury and disease. 2. Vocational train- 

 ing. 3. Securing of emplojTnent 4. Main- 

 tenance of medical supervision of the man 

 after he has gone back into industry. He also 

 emphasized the necessity of more or less plan- 

 ning of work in educating employers up to 

 the point of recognizing the need of coopera- 

 tion on their part in the proper utilization of 

 the reconstructed soldier. 



Dr. Joseph Schereschewsky made a report 

 for the committee of industrial surgeons, out- 

 lining their aims as follows: To provide 

 against im^necessary human waste in industry 

 and society during war. To offset the drain 

 on industry of man power caused by the rais- 

 ing of military forces. To meet the need for 

 greatly increased production. To avoid pre- 

 ventable deaths and disabilities from accident 

 and disease. To restore to full producing 

 power in the shortest possible time sick and 

 injured workers. To increase output by main- 

 taining workers in good health. To provide 

 healthful places in which to work. To pro- 

 vide healthful homes and commimities in 

 which to live. To meet shortage of medical 

 service induced by military needs. 



Dr. Edward P. Davis, of Philadelphia, sub- 



