54 



SCIENCE 



[JSr. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1098 



least, as experiments in medical education 

 and research, and as the increase of en- 

 dowment for the better type of medical 

 effort will naturally depend to some extent 

 upon the efforts, successful or otherwise, 

 of the foundations already in existence, it 

 seems advisable that those responsible for 

 the expenditure of research funds should 

 from time to time report upon their efforts 

 — both useful and futile — in order to guide 

 those giving or receiving funds for investi- 

 gation in medicine. It is for this reason 

 that I present to you, to-day, the expe- 

 rience of a small university research depart- 

 ment for the management of which I have 

 been responsible during the past five years. 

 It is not always comfortable to talk about 

 one's own work and efforts and I realize 

 that I may be criticized for bringing myself 

 and my department into the limelight in 

 this way and particularly on this occa- 

 sion, but I am satisfied from the number of 

 inquiries I receive about the plan and 

 scope of our work that there is a general 

 desire on the part not only of medical 

 faculties and university trustees, but also 

 of individuals who wish to aid and foster 

 research in medicine, to know more about 

 the experience of foundations already 

 established. For this reason, despite pos- 

 sible criticism, I present the general facts 

 concerning some of the phases of the work 

 of the John Herr Musser Department of 

 Research Medicine of the University of 

 Pennsylvania during the past five years. ^ 



This department was endowed in 1909 

 under a deed of gift which provided for 

 the establishment of a chair of research 

 medicine in a department of similar name.^ 



2 September 1, 1910, to August 31, 1915. 



3 In 1912 after the death of John Herr Musser, 

 professor of clinical medicine in the university, 

 and at the request of the original donor, the name 

 of the department was changed to The John Herr 

 Musser Department of Research Medicine. 



Some of the important conditions contained 

 in this deed of gift which have necessarily 

 determined the work of the department are 

 as follows : 



1. That the department concern itself 

 especially with the study of chronic dis- 

 eases* by laboratory methods and with the 

 aid when necessary of the wards of the uni- 

 versity hospital. 



2. That the professor of research medi- 

 cine devote his entire time to the conduct 

 of the department, his duties as a teacher 

 being limited to not less than fifteen lec- 

 tures or demonstrations on the work of the 

 department to be given to students of medi- 

 cine of the University of Pennsylvania. 



3. That the facilities of the department 

 be open to members of other departments 

 of the university and to such students and 

 practitioners as might be considered capa- 

 ble of conducting research work. 



4. That the income of the endowment be 

 applicable to the purposes of the department 

 of research medicine and in and about no 

 other department of the University of 

 Pennsylvania or otherwise. 



In brief the conditions of the endowment 

 established a department for the study of 

 chronic diseases, reduced the teaching 

 duties of the staff to a minimum and pro- 

 vided that opportunities for research should 

 be given to those desiring such work and 

 that the income could not be used to eke 

 out the expenses of existing departments. 

 The qualifying statements, however, in re- 

 gard to each of these conditions allowed 

 considerable latitude of interpretation, both 

 as to scope of work and relations to 

 other departments. The work of the de- 

 partment, as determined by the various 

 conditions stated, may be considered under 

 the following heads: 



* Some diseases were specifically mentioned, as, 

 for example, gout, rheumatism and nephritis. 



