July 3, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



15 



largely relegated to special non-teacMng 

 institutions. These have their function 

 and we rejoice in their foundation and sup- 

 port and hope that they may multiply, but 

 the man who is devoid of the spirit of scien- 

 tific investigation has no place in medi- 

 cine as student, practitioner or teacher, and 

 the most elaborate medical training with- 

 out opportunity for scientific observation 

 is barren. Besides, opportunities for med- 

 ical discovery should be widely distributed. 

 Science makes no provision for an aristoc- 

 racy. There can be no papal bulls issiied 

 in the domain of medicine. The workers 

 must be many, all must be free to pursue 

 knowledge in their own way, and all must 

 be compelled to prove their claims, for 

 "life is short, art is long, opportunity is 

 fleeting, experiment fallacious and judg- 

 ment difficult." 



In this work of self -improvement the pro- 

 fession has had the aid of the more intelli- 

 gent law-makers and administrators. In 

 carrying out these progressive changes 

 there has been much sacrifice of money and 

 personal pride by many members of the 

 profession. Large schools have willingly 

 submitted to marked reduction in the num- 

 bers of their students and consequently in 

 financial support. A medical education 

 costs more in time and money than that 

 demanded by any other profession, and the 

 emoluments of the average practitioner 

 have decreased as preventive medicine has 

 become more effective. No other profession 

 pays so heavily the great cost of eradicating 

 the infectious diseases, but this is the func- 

 tion of medicine and no sacrifice should be 

 regarded as too great. While intelligent 

 medical men have been leading the crusade 

 against greed, ignorance and disease, our 

 legislative halls have been crowded with 

 the representatives of sects, cults and char- 

 latans demanding legal recognition. If I 

 mistake not, herculean efforts will be made 



in the near future to lower the standards 

 demanded of the medical practitioner. 

 These endeavors have been promised aid 

 from those who have heavy financial back- 

 ing, but if we are worthy of the trust which 

 we bear, we shall not yield. We must ap- 

 peal to the good sense of the people for 

 whose welfare we labor. We must show 

 what scientific medicine has done for the 

 public good and point out the greater 

 things it may do with increased oppor- 

 tunity. It must be admitted that in the 

 crusade for the restriction of tuberculosis 

 many physicians have manifested but little 

 interest. This is shown by their slowness 

 to employ methods of early diagnosis and 

 consequently by their failure to recognize 

 the disease in its curable stage, also by 

 their unwillingness to comply with the laws 

 of notification. It is an undeniable fact 

 that there are many medical men who 

 know less about hygienic measures than the 

 more intelligent of the laity. With ad- 

 vancing knowledge among the masses these 

 professional fossils will be correctly labeled 

 and properly shelved in the local museums 

 of antiquities. 



I believe that medicine is now attracting 

 excellent young men. It should appeal to 

 this class. It does not point the way to 

 great financial reward, but it offers a serv- 

 ice unsurpassed by any other calling. The 

 historian tells us : 



For the Roman patriot the only worthy stage 

 was the forum or the battlefield; every other pur- 

 suit was left in the hands of slaves and could not 

 free itself from the taint of servitude. 



Modern medicine offers a field in which 

 the advancement of knowledge, the im- 

 provement of health conditions and the sav- 

 ing of lives are the measures of success. 



Preventive medicine, still in its youth, 

 has accomplished great things. As I have 

 stated, within the past thirty years in this 

 country the mortality from tuberculosis 



