Pebeuaet 24, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



283 



known topic to them until they reach it in 

 some technical or professional course. By 

 this time their mind is usually centered on 

 the line of attainment desired, and the 

 hurried instraction they receive in bacte- 

 riology does not illuminate the science 

 sufficiently to attract them. To overcome 

 this, two alternatives present themselves, 

 namely, to have a preliminary course in 

 bacteriology in the preparatory school or 

 to have the course in the professional 

 schools extended and taught more effi- 

 ciently. It seems to me that it is a mistake 

 to assume that persons who have received 

 instruction in some narrow field of the 

 subject, and who may decide to follow this 

 work, are qualified to take at once posi- 

 tions of responsibility. There is no other 

 science where accuracy, correct interpreta- 

 tion and application are of more vital im- 

 portance than they are in this, yet there is 

 no other science where men are elevated to 

 positions of responsibility with so little 

 real preparation. "We seem to have for- 

 gotten that in the acquisition of knowledge 

 and the coming into an understanding of 

 bacteriology the element of time and the 

 discipline of routine work and research are 

 as essential as they are in chemistry or in 

 physics. Again, in the preparation we 

 must not be unmindful of the necessity of 

 a thorough preliminary training in the 

 fundamental sciences and modern lan- 

 guages. 



The question is a perplexing one. The 

 errors of insufficiently trained workers call 

 forth trying criticisms that those who are re- 

 sponsible for laboratory work must bear. 

 Yet when more thoroughly qualified men are 

 sought for they can not be found. What then 

 are we to do ? We each and all who are in 

 professional schools must feel that the reg- 

 ular course or courses we give in bacter- 

 iology can not fully or adequately prepare 

 one for teaching the subject or taking a 

 responsible position in it. Yet the student 



has ability, is earnest and a hard worker. 

 He is financially so situated at the time of 

 his graduation that he can not continue 

 his studies. In this condition the accept- 

 ance of the proffered position, with the 

 mental resolution that he will study hard 

 and later do graduate work, is apparently 

 the thing for him to do. The outcome of 

 such a course is well known. The numer- 

 ous and unexpected difficulties attending 

 the new position together with the in- 

 creased amount of routine exhaust the 

 energies and the hoped-for special training 

 is rarely secured and the desired efficiency 

 is not attained. Until we have a better 

 system for preparing young men the pres- 

 ent practise will continue and our science, 

 our laboratories and the public must suffer 

 the consequences. 



I have dwelt somewhat at length on the 

 difficulties which exist in the promotion of 

 the science of bacteriology. If they are 

 analyzed it will be found that they are 

 temporary, and incident to the way by 

 which man found his dependence upon his 

 microbian environment. After the numer- 

 ous demands for men to do work, which the 

 recognition of the importance of microbes 

 has created, bacteriology will undoubtedly 

 develop into a pure science that will be as 

 eagerly pursued as any branch of learning 

 in the acquisition of an efficient education. 



In conclusion, I desire to make a few 

 suggestions as to the possible means for 

 both promoting this science as such and in- 

 creasing its value as an asset in practical 

 knowledge. 



The first is to introduce in the courses of 

 biology in our common schools, instruction 

 on the existence and varieties of bacteria, 

 and something of the action of a few of the 

 more important economic species. This 

 would afford a little fundamental knowl- 

 edge to help the masses to better under- 

 stand the cause of many natural phe- 

 nomena. 



