[PAGE 1]
"lcology" is that"branch nf scicnce which deals with the relation betwoen organisns and their environmont. Ihe foraal atudy of the ecology of aninals and micro-organions had been pursued 'extenaivoly. The ecoloey of man hae not been pivcn much attontion as such, nithough a great doal of infomation relnting to human ecology has been accumalated in such ficldo as anthropolory, sociology, psycholop, medicine and public health. It will be the punpose of the inatitute to collect and organize the infomation which ia already availablo, and to add to this information by atudies of its owm. jii

An lntercst in hucan eeologr on the part of thie bepartment,of ledicine arioes from the fact Uiit nan's attenpts to adapt to hls envirorumnt have an important effect upon his gemeral health, and play a major part in'the davelopment of many illnesses. It has becone desirablo to conduct studies of man as a whole, in rolation, to all aspects of liis cnvironment, aud to try to define what relations botween :an and his environnent are most conducive to health. Such studies are concerned both with thrboe factors relating to ti.e indiviuel wiich govem his capacity to adant, and those relating to the environment which gover the ndaptationa ahich must be mado. In the first citegory are considerations such as ths phgaiclogical mechanisms involved in huran adaptations, and the factora which influcnce man's parception of his onvironment. In the socond category ars considerations such as the cultural, social, and physical de ands made upon ren in

ATTACHESET A

A1B, 2, 10/49

H-B13

PROTDCOL

[PAGE 2]
various environmontal situations, and their effect upoh the health of picrsong exposed to theso situntions. Cutting acroas bothcategories are considerations such as tho role of developmuntal exporiences and inbom conatitution of iniividuals in dotermining thcir later ability to adapt to various envirunmontal situn:ions.

will therefore draw upon nany 'diaciplines, The and will not be confined by linitations with regard to the polnt of view from which probloms are appronchou, or the mothods to be used in their investigation. It is not intended to estahlish a new discivline, but rauhier to cstablish a. rechaniom which al owe the investigator to dran freely upon te inforration and mothods of all fields of human kowledge which mayhelp to answor the quostion of what is'an optimum relation between man and hia environment.

-2-