584 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1034 



health holding a degree or certificate in pub- 

 lic health from a school of recognized stand- 

 ing." This would open the field of service to 

 those best qualified to serve and would at the 

 same time prevent the unscrupulous political 

 appointment of unqualified persons. 



There is an increasing number of young 

 men who without an M.D. degree are fitting 

 themselves for public health service. What 

 is more they include some of the best of the 

 college graduates, men who have come to real- 

 ize that they can best serve humanity by 

 helping to maintain humanity's health, men 

 who are going to devote their lives to the 

 cause. The states and cities which remove 

 the present disbarment will get the services 

 of these enthusiastic progressive specialists 

 and will benefit accordingly. 



Before the field of service in the public 

 health is fully opened to men without the med- 

 ical degree it is right and proper that the 

 training which students are getting in the 

 acquirement of a degree or certificate in pub- 

 lic health be carefully examined to see if it 

 is adequate. Unless the training is adequate 

 the change in the laws should not be made. I 

 bring before you to-day the program of stud- 

 ies at the School for Health Officers of Har- 

 vard University and the Massachusetts Insti- 

 tute of Technology — the first school of its 

 kind in the country, trusting that it will be 

 studied and that we may have the benefit of 

 advice founded on experience. 



The School for Health Officers is conducted 

 by Harvard University and the Massachu- 

 setts Institute of Technology, acting in co- 

 operation, through an administrative board 

 appointed for this purpose, by both institu- 

 tions. At the present time the board consists 

 of Professor William T. Sedgwick, chairman, 

 Professor Milton J. Rosenau and Professor 

 George 0. Whipple. It is significant of the 

 spirit of the school that these men are re- 

 spectively a doctor of science, a doctor of 

 medicine and a civil engineer. Dr. Rosenau 

 is director of the school, with headquarters at 

 Harvard Medical School. 



The principal object of the school is to 

 prepare young men for public health work of 



all kinds and especially to fit them to occupy 

 administrative and executive positions, as 

 health officers, or members of boards of 

 health, or secretaries, agents or inspectors of 

 health organizations. To this end, lectures, 

 laboratory work and other forms of instruc- 

 tion are offered by both institutions, and by 

 special instructors from national, state and 

 local health agencies. The subjects embraced 

 in the course of study have been selected to 

 cover a wide range, including medical, bio- 

 logical, hygienic and engineering sciences, to- 

 gether with practical health administration. 



A certificate in public health (C.P.H.) is 

 granted to candidates who have satisfactorily 

 completed the studies in an approved sched- 

 ule, who have spent not less than one aca- 

 demic year in residence, and who have other- 

 wise complied with all requirements. This 

 certificate is issued by Harvard University 

 and the Massachusetts Institute of Technol- 

 ogy and signed by the presidents of both in- 

 stitutions. The first class graduated in June, 

 1914, when five men received their certificates. 

 It happened that all of these had previously 

 received a medical degree. The membership 

 in the school is now eleven. 



The question may naturally occur to some 

 one, why call this a certificate in public 

 health, and not a doctor of public health, or 

 a diploma in public health. The reason is 

 that the degree of Dr.P.H. is already admin- 

 istered by Harvard University in its medical 

 school, and stands for a larger body of work, 

 and a longer course than most men can afford 

 to take or than it is necessary to take in prep- 

 aration for many of the positions in the public 

 health service. The reason that the " Diploma 

 in Public Health," i. e., D.P.H. was not chosen 

 was because these letters sometimes stand for 

 doctor of public health and our school desired 

 to avoid giving what might appear to be a 

 doctor's degree, but technically was not. 



The following are the requirements for ad- 

 mission: Graduates in Medicine of Harvard 

 University and other recognized medical 

 schools are admitted upon their records and 

 registered as candidates for the certificate in 

 public health. Bachelors of science in biology 



