PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 7 



the space and staff, have converted it into a separate sub- 

 department, under the designation of the Bureau of Micro- 

 biology, and charged it generally with the performance of 

 the microbiological work of the Government. Its functions 

 may be divided into ordinary business and research. In 

 the former capacity, the Bureau is called upon to advise 

 concerning microbiological specimens of all kinds submitted 

 to or acquired by Government Departments in the course 

 of their ordinary work. The daily routine in this respect 

 comprises, on the pathological side, the examination of 

 specimens for evidence of such infectious diseases as 

 diphtheria, typhoid, tuberculosis, and plague in human 

 beings ; swine fever, anthrax, blackleg, and actinomycosis 

 in the lower animals ; of parasites, of tumours, and of 

 diseased tissues generally ; on the agricultural side the 

 examination of samples of milk, cream, butter and cheese; 

 of water and soils, of fruits, and plants affected with mil- 

 dews, spots, smuts, rusts, rots, or blights for which various 

 fungi are responsible. The research work covers the fields 

 of human, animal, and plant pathology, the microbiology 

 of soils, crops, and farm products ; of the dairy, butter and 

 cheese factory, and generally of the production and distri- 

 bution of foods, of the fermentation industries and of the 

 putrefactive wastes. The exploration of the parasitic 

 fauna and flora of domestic animals and of plants, the dis- 

 tribution of cultures of lactic acid bacteria for dietetic and 

 dairy purposes ; the investigation of nitrifying bacteria 

 and those of the root-nodules of leguminosse in their rela- 

 tionship to agriculture, and the preparation of therapeutic 

 vaccines, may be mentioned as indicative of the lines of 

 research now receiving attention. I think you will agree 

 that its scope suffices to show that the newly created 

 Bureau is designed to perform services from which not only 

 the State, but the scientific world at large may prospec- 

 tively benefit. The staff includes the director, Dr. Frank 



