October 1, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



445 



that there are many unsolved questions in this 

 nearly virgin field, and because of this and for the 

 further reason that our cities still continue to en- 

 large, thus increasing our needs for sanitation, the 

 opportunities in this field, especially in our rapidly 

 growing west and middle west, are legion and 

 because of these facts advance in most of the 

 positions is comparatively rapid. This training 

 enables a person to guide in a scientific manner 

 such important movements as tuberculosis control, 

 the establishment of milk depots, school inspection, 

 the proper collection of vital statistics, proper 

 housing, public health organization, in fact any 

 question dealing with or intimately associated 

 with matters pertaining to the conservation of 

 life. 



In this new field, we find sanitary biologists, 

 sanitary engineers and sanitary chemists working 

 together for a solution of such problems as pro- 

 viding a safe water supply and sewerage system, 

 controlling epidemics of disease, enforcing proper 

 care in the handling of food materials, in short, 

 attempting the best solution of the particular 

 public health problems which confront any given 

 community. 



There is no subject of greater interest to peo- 

 ple in general than that of their own health and 

 they recognize that this is closely related to ques- 

 tions of public health, for on the subject of dis- 

 ease and death we all meet on common ground. 

 Because of this interest, the subject is much dis- 

 cussed, and it is not surprising to find much mis- 

 information afloat because persons often appoint 

 themselves authority pro-tem in social gatherings, 

 and give decisions which have no background of 

 fact or wisdom. A short time ago I heard from a 

 reliable source that a man in a public health posi- 

 tion said that typhoid carriers could be detected 

 by blood cultures and from another ' ' authority ' ' 

 came the statement that a T-bone steak, in the 

 bottom of a well, was responsible for an outbreak 

 of typhoid fever which occurred in the community 

 in which the well was situated. Later I received 

 a graphic description of how hordes of typhoid 

 germs sallied forth from the carcass of a horse 

 which was in a river bed, and calmly awaited un- 

 suspecting persons drinking from the stream. 



Unscrupulous persons, either in their desire for 

 publicity or in order to "grind an axe" of their 

 own, take advantage of this desire on the part of 

 the public to be informed on health matters, by 

 uttering half-truths or deliberately trifling with 

 facts, to such an extent that wrong ideas gain 



ground and it takes much time to eradicate these 

 false impressions. By such unscrupulous persons, 

 the march of progress is materially hindered. 

 Politicians and others with no knowledge of pub- 

 lic health matters and not appreciating the 

 gravity of their deeds sometimes depose good men 

 or so curtail their powers that they are unable to 

 discharge their duties efficiently or to serve the 

 best interests of the community. 



It is over a half century since the theory of 

 spontaneous generation or abiogenesis was finally 

 overthrown, and while no one at the present time 

 believes that eels can arise de novo from mud and 

 slime or that mice can be generated from dirty 

 flannel and corn, the idea is still current that 

 decaying material and the consequent evil odors; 

 poor plumbing; the "catching" of cold; etc., per 

 se provide a suitable environment for generating 

 disease-producing microorganisms. Nothing could 

 be further from the truth, for a study of biology 

 teaches us that between the living and non-living 

 world we have one of the best defined barriers 

 in nature, and that no living material, not even 

 the humblest bacterial cell, comes into existence 

 without the intervention of preexisting life of the 

 same type. 



Again quoting from one of our monthly state 

 health bulletins: "Kemoving health departments 

 from politics; selecting the right man, paying him 

 the right salary, and permanent tenure of the 

 position will do much to correct existing evils. 

 There is no official of more importance to any 

 community than a conscientious and capable 

 health officer. The conserver of the health of our 

 people is a benefactor of the race and worthy of 

 the highest honors in the gift of the state." 



In closing allow me to quote Disraeli and express 

 my strong sympathy with his ideas : ' ' The public 

 health is the foundation on which reposes the 

 happiness of the people and the power of the 

 country. The care of the public health is the first 

 duty of a statesman." J. E. RuSH 



Dept. of Biology and Public Health, 

 Caenegie Institute of Technology 



TEE SECOND PAN-AMEBICAN SCIENTIFIC 



CONGBESS AND ITS SECTION OF 



ANTEBOPOLOGY 



In accordance with the resolutions of the 

 First Pan-American Scientific Congress, held 

 in Santiago, Chile, December 25, 1908, to 



