484 
JEROME HENRY KIDDER. 
no way checked the ardor with which the work was carried 
on. Under the liberal and energetic policy of Surgeon Gen¬ 
eral Wales, by whom the laboratory had been founded, the 
facilities for study were rapidly increased, larger appropria¬ 
tions were obtained, and in the course of two or three years 
the young establishment was converted into the Museum of 
Hygiene, as it is known to-day. The principal investiga¬ 
tions conducted by Dr. Kidder during his three years’ as¬ 
signment to this duty consisted in the chemical and micro¬ 
scopical analysis of the air with respect to the amount and 
character of the influences exerted in the production of dis¬ 
ease by its organic and inorganic impurities, while among 
his other duties were the examination of pathological speci¬ 
mens and the consolidation of meteorological reports de¬ 
rived from naval sources. 
The zeal and earnestness displayed in all this work, his 
untiring devotion to the cause of hygiene, and, above all, 
his strength and breadth of mind, especially fitted him for 
leadership in this important movement, with which he would 
undoubtedly have continued to be identified under more 
stable conditions of environment. His several reports upon 
this subject indicate most careful and painstaking observa¬ 
tions, and exhibit marked success in the development of 
ingenious though, for the most part, exceedingly simple 
methods of experiment. 
His earlier inquiries in hygiene had reference mainly to 
the surroundings of the laboratory, but prior to his detach¬ 
ment he was detailed to assist in two special investigations. 
The first and more important of these was an inquiry 
into the cause of the recurrent epidemic of yellow fever 
on board the United States Steamship Plymouth, in con¬ 
junction with Medical Inspector Dean and Naval Constructor 
Wilson, and was executed in 1880. The report submitted by 
this board was published in the report of the Surgeon 
General of the Navy for 1880. The following year Dr. 
Kidder, with Medical Director Browne and Passed Assistant 
Surgeon Griffiths, examined with unusual care the sanitary 
