38 Canadian Record of Science. 
body are constant and absolutely dependent on fixed, though 
but partially known laws, it should be one of the aims of 
science to show more clearly what these laws are; and in 
this all the specialties may combine with a noble end in 
view. 
In estimating the diet that is best, many considerations 
beside the chemical composition of the food, the action of 
the digestive juices, etc., must be taken into account. A 
food that is capable of maintaining one individual at his 
maximum of energy is not such for another; and this may 
depend on subtle influences of race, habit, occupation, and 
countless factors of the past and present, which neither 
chemist nor physiologist can estimate, except in the rough- 
est and most general way. Fortunate it is that our 
instincts are wiser than ourselves—our conscious, scientific 
selves. Such considerations shonld not tend to lessen our 
estimation of the value of such work as the chemist, the 
physiologist, the anthropologist, the psychologist and 
others can do. It all has its place, but we must beware 
of drawing conclusions too hastily or making generalizations 
that are too wide. 
Specialism, with its limited fields, its more elaborate 
methods and its minute details, is necessary to the advance 
of science. But the dangers are great, as the subject under 
consideration well illustrates. One of the questions of the 
day to not a few minds is: How may specialism exist so as 
to subserve the ends of science and not lead to narrow, and 
consequently erroneous, views? It is doubtful whether it is 
not better to have no definite conceptions of a subject than 
highly distorted ones. It is true, the critical spirit of the 
day tends to sift all views and errors are being constantly 
exposed; they may, however, be speedily replaced by 
another crop. The remedies or rather the means of pre- 
venting, at least in part, this state of things, it appears to 
me, are :— 
(1) A sound and broad education on the part of the 
individual who proposes to specialize. 
(2) Joint work—many different specialists attacking the 
problem from different points of view and comparing 
