98 Report of the President 



borne Diseases, with parallel reference to individual numbered 

 exhibits illustrating the points in question. 



Through the cooperation of the Departments of Invertebrate 

 Zoology and Public Health of the Museum, a somewhat ex- 

 haustive Guide Leaflet dealing with insects and disease has 

 been prepared and is ready for publication. 



Attention must be called at this time to the pressing need of 



the Department of Public Health for exhibition space to allow 



for future development. The present Hall of 



N^d for Public Health is pra ctically filled. The Food 



Exhibition Space _ . ,.,.,. . « . , 



Exhibit, which is being rapidly increased, may 



be shown outside the Museum for a time (as at the Washing- 

 ton Irving High School and at City College), but much of it 

 should finally be installed at the Museum as a section of our 

 permanent Public Health Exhibit, of which it forms an integral 

 part. 



The Museum of Living Bacteria, now under the immediate 

 direction of Mr. William Rothberg, continues to fill a large 

 place in the scientific life of this branch of 

 Bacteriological natural history. Ninety-eight new strains have 

 Research Deen added to the collection, making the total 



number now under cultivation over eight hun- 

 dred. During the year ending December 1, 19 17, 3,935 cultures 

 were sent without charge to laboratories of universities and 

 health departments, making a total of 18,980 cultures distrib- 

 uted since the opening of the laboratory in 191 1 ; 143 new 

 institutions have availed themselves of our service during the 

 year, making 635 in all. It has been particularly gratifying to 

 note that we have been able to supply cantonment medical 

 officers, government bureaus at Washington, and medical re- 

 search institutions in this country and abroad with cultures 

 needed for special problems of military hygiene. 



Changes in staff and the demands made by emergency war 

 work have made heavy inroads upon time generally allotted for 

 research. A monograph, by Curator Winslow, Dr. Kligler and 

 Mr. Rothberg, on the classification of the colon-typhoid group 

 of bacteria, has been completed, however, and is ready for pub- 

 lication. 



