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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIII. No. 843 



pointing to the possibility of misguided 

 application of this science because of a lack 

 of understanding of it. The mere knowl- 

 edge of the presence of microorganisms in 

 milk, in water and in dust is responsible 

 for many unprofitable propaganda. In 

 following these, the real dangers may be 

 overlooked. This is illustrated in certain 

 practises. There are, for example, those 

 who, because of a low bacterial count of 

 mill?:, consider it of excellent quality, with- 

 out taking into account the condition of the 

 udders or the general health of the cows 

 from which it was obtained. In certain 

 lines of domestic science much stress is 

 placed on the bacterial content of dust and 

 the unsanitary condition their presence 

 creates, when the actual problem is simply 

 one of cleanliness, as the organisms present 

 are of less significance than the dust itself. 

 Regulations based on certain microbian 

 findings and the importance thereof are 

 frequently appealed from because of the 

 seemingly unwarranted expenditures they 

 impose. Many of these interpretations 

 prove later to be without justification, and 

 the annoyance and perhaps hardships they 

 occasioned would have been avoided if the 

 science of bacteriology rather than a few 

 isolated facts had been applied. 



There is at present a great demand for 

 men who are capable and qualified to 

 bring to the aid of those struggling with 

 great sanitary and economic problems the 

 relief that is possible, or that seems to be 

 attainable by the utilization of the laws of 

 microbiology. The question we have to 

 consider is how this demand can be satis- 

 factorily met. How under the present 

 restrictions of bacteriology in technical 

 schools and the willingness — because of 

 the lack of knowledge of it — to keep it out 

 of curriculums of schools of liberal arts 

 and sciences, are we going to secure the 

 men and train them to efficiently occupy 



these positions? The answer may come 

 that our problem does not differ from that 

 existing in other biological and physical 

 sciences. This may be true, but the fact 

 remains that we are a body organized to 

 promote this science and consequently 

 clothed with responsibility that we can not 

 throw off relative to the ways and means 

 to be employed in bringing into existence 

 more efficient bacteriology. The lesson 

 taught by the older branches of knowledge, 

 such as chemistry and physics, points to 

 but one solution, namely, the upbuilding 

 of the purity of the science. 



Thus far, bacteriology has operated as 

 an aid to many branches of applied learn- 

 ing, like medicine and agriculture, and for 

 that reason it has not reached its full de- 

 velopment as an independent science. Be- 

 cause of this its greatest value has not 

 been secured by those activities which it 

 has served. Its application has been so 

 immediate that most of those who have 

 come in possession of any knowledge of it 

 have been attracted to some field for its 

 application. Some of these places require 

 more breadth of knowledge than others, 

 but there are indeed few of them where 

 bacteriology is dignified as a pure science 

 and its truths and laws studied, tested and 

 cherished as such. The difficulties met in 

 nomenclature, bacterial floras and tech- 

 nique speak for themselves concerning the 

 fragmentary status of the knowledge of 

 this subject. With its diversion to prac- 

 tical lines there is too much specialization 

 before there is a foundation of basic 

 knowledge sufficient to support the super- 

 structure. The desire for application 

 rather than the scientific spirit is mani- 

 fested too early and often too conspicu- 

 ously in the devotees of this subject. 



Perhaps the greatest difficulty in finding 

 men desirous of taking up bacteriology for 

 a life work is the fact that it is an un- 



