SANITARY SCIENCE, ETC. 423 



investigation, until we have now hardly three or four in possession of 

 the means to present any new subject of study involving any outlay 

 for investigation or for demonstration. The time has come when such 

 provision should be made. Whether it is to be made by the munifi- 

 cence of private individuals, or by State endowments, is not here the 

 question. 



The proposition to which I shall speak especially is this : that pro- 

 vision should be made for instruction in Human Physiology, Hygiene, 

 and Sanitary Science, in all departments of public instruction in our 

 public schools, by providing fundamental instruction, especially in the 

 simple principles of physiology and hygiene ; in colleges and univer- 

 sities, by presenting this general instruction in a more extended way, 

 and by promoting investigation ; in medical colleges, by giving more 

 special instruction in matters relating to public and international hy- 

 giene ; and that, in our departments of engineering and polytechnic and 

 technological schools, especial provision should be made for instruction 

 in sanitary engineering. 



In regard to the first of these provisions, that for popular instruc- 

 tion, few probably are aware of the need of them. Take, for example, 

 the revelation made within the past year, at the outbreak of yellow 

 fever in a Southern city. Two things in relation to that revealed very 

 clearly the evils of which I speak : First, the cause assigned to the 

 disease shows the utter want of sanitary knowledge in the people at 

 large •, and, secondly, the real cause, since revealed, shows the absolute 

 blindness to the simplest principles of sanitary science on the part of 

 those immediately concerned. When the yellow fever broke out at 

 Shreveport, it was telegraphed all over the country that it was caused 

 by the removal of the obstructions in the river above the city. That 

 statement went all over the country unchallenged. So far as I know, 

 no one thought of expressing doubt publicly as to the statement that 

 the yellow fever was caused by a more plentiful supply of water at the 

 wharves of that city — the fact being that this would conduce rather 

 to the removal of the causes of the disease than to the prevention of 

 them. At last came information as to the real cause, and it was found 

 that in that hot climate men had been allowed to heap up the material 

 in which disease-germs arise abundantly ; that the simplest truths of 

 sanitary science had been ignored, and that the consequence was per- 

 fectly simple and natural. 



But it is not merely in such outstanding parts of the nation that 

 such ignorance exists. It is spread throughout our own country dis- 

 tricts, even the most enlightened districts, and you will find prevailing 

 in many of our country towns traditions and superstitions in regard to 

 this matter that are most surprising. You will find some of these 

 things which are known to be absolutely deadly considered on the 

 whole as healthful. Strange as it may seem, you may hear people who 

 take the papers, who are supposed to be within reach of the great 



