The St. Louis Republic., 1904-09-22

PROFESSOR HENRI POINCARE.
Member of the Institute uf France. who
viii be one OF the speakers on applied
mathematics tomorrow afternoon.
sudden changes mutations which take
place without dennite direction. Eimars
theory is accepted As an adequate account
%: the known facts 10y only a Few. De
Nries's theory. while much more widely
accepted. does not embrace all Ia. factors
which We now know.
Natural selections or th.ry-nesis and
mutation he said. have 70 be recon-
,.iled by theory which takes account of
the fundamental principles of each |
have observed instances of or;hogenetic
variation in connection with the natural
selection in the common pigeon covering
experiments nf eight years. which show
that no mutations have occurred.
doubt IL either crthoGpnsSis or natural Sc
lection will account for the facts aJ-
vanced in the theory OF Professor de
Vries''
CRITICIsES GLIB LIFE.
Quite as much interest was aroused in
the section of Social Science by the dis
cussion led by Professor G.org. Ii How
ard OF Leland Stanford Jr.. University.
in which he assailed modern club life as
a menace to the society of the present
century. HIS subject vas Social Control
and the Function OF the Home Mar
riase depends more upon the family than
does the family depend upon marriage"
was the kevno:c OF his address. AMI IN this
sentiment h. had tE. appr1hatiOn OF MANI
of those who heard him
The point under discussion was ne
Family" and III MS remarks Professor
Howard said that at the present tine the
home is used merely as place to eat and
sleep. while the members OF the idniii'.
through se!fshncss. are made mere wage
earners Professor Howard further -ta:- u
that the marriage ties are loo lightly
bound and easily broken. ana by les-
son Of this fact was due the club life of
to-day. which is menace L" the society
Of the present century
..Dur.ny the last iew years" said Pro-
fessor Howard. the State has gained
more social power in the home than ever
before and is still advancing .iloEs; these
Iire. and the social economies and home
are becoming more closely interviewer.
Another feature brought out in ihe dis
cussion was the feet that the patr1archai
control In tbs. home which MAS so pr.Na-
l-nt In former years. is rapid: vanishing
and that husband and wife are becoming
more equal in power. which results In the
lif. of the home changing from coerciye
TO persuasive power. which much nec.--
sarily lead all the members Of the NONE
to work together 10 Set the most q! the
true and genuine happiness out of life
In the section OF Public Health of the
Department Of Medicine. Doctor Ernst j
IederI- former Commissioner of Health
of New York city. i'm 2 strong address ad-
vocated Federal supervision Of h-aith reg
ulations
Sanitary science has been. for SO mucn
of its brief sxistenc. set forth almost
wholly by medical men that it Is eiill
widely regarded as their peculiar proNlnc"
And properly 50. the very nature OF his
training and occupation makes the inleiii-
gent physician find in unsanitary sur
Toundines pr.disposing caus. Of 1is..ass.
and his work has been and wili continue
to ba to iinprov. sanitary conditions 20 a.
to minimize ani finally 10 eradicate =
great many diseases which s,ill max" ~
large part of the annual mortality
FEDERAL SANITARY PLAN.
His experience and training are rarely.
If ever. of the sort to make him success
full administrator. do not by any m.ans
seek to maintain that this function re-
sides wholly I'm the ssInliarian. So called.
far from il. But in the adoption of means
20 ends. In countless circumstances Of ad-
ministrItiVc duty which public service Ell
tails a layman with skilled medical ad-
vice upon purely medical questions. seems
TO me better fitted 10 accomplish results
than the physician alon--
This leads me To statement of ~ nat
I believe To be- the best possible oTGaiitzsi =
| ton of a sanitary service. municipal. state
or national and one which ! hope SOM.
day will b- adopted not only in cities and
States. but b. our Federal Government
Al its head should be = hoard Of ad-
Ininistrstion. consisting Of a physician of
| the first rank. skilled in the Application
| of meteorological and general medical r'--
search io the problems Of hygiene; a
trained sanitary engineer. and third. i
/ you like. balance wheel TO prevent
the ecceutrics Of tn" specialists from dis
| turbing tn wo-Einss oi the machine q
| man of affairs in the broader sense Of the
| word. who sho I'D be N.Tsed III sanitary
| prac tice. and. AT the same time. chosen
( mainly for administrative skill and for a
| certain practical common sense. which
might guide such au organization wisely.
| and. perchance. prevent misuse Of the
great powers with which ii ought to b-
| endowed.
in The service Of such a department af
| our Government. there should be 2 stan
| Of specialists an every branch al medical
| sanitary science. Laboratories equipped 1ot
| research and diagnosis. and all other ed
| juncts which make for efficiency in public
| hygiene
tIonaI board of health would be the train
| ing of sanitary ofhc"'s-
| DANGER OF PARTISAN POLITICS
The greatest OF all the present problem:
| confronting boards Of hes..th In this coun-
| try. have no hesitation IN saving. i the
| service from the evils of partisan politics
| The politician il nearly always the bit
| terest opponent Of sanitary reform. be-
| cause nearly every order for sanitary bet
terrnent touches the pocket Of some Of hi.
| constituents. WHO Immediately run 20 tnt
politician for relief There never will he
| radical improvement in this condition
| until our sanitary Offices are taken entire
| ly cut OF politics. and the incumbsnts ap-
| pointed for life, or during good benavior
| Doctor Lederie then discussed infection
and its prevention. the Te-ation C. immi-
grafton to the spread Of disease. and kin.
dred topics
In regard to antidiptheritic serum h
said:
High prices are charged for serunis by
manufacturing chemist and there Is nc
means 81 testing their efficiency c"nnrar-
able to the records OF public laboratories