New-York tribune., 1906-05-12
NEW INSTITUTE OPENED
FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH.
Well Knozcn Educators at Ded'ca-
ton of Rockefeller Gift.
FORMALLY opened yesterday

IN the country marked the formal opening yes
terday of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical
Research. The assembly room the first floor
of the big building on the banks of the East
River at seth and S7th streets was not large
enough to hold those who attended. and an
L-shaped laboratory room on the fifth floor
brought into use.
Addresses were made by President Eliot Of
Harvard, President Butler of Columbia, DR..
William Henry Welch, president OF the board
Of directors of the institute and DR.. Luther
Emmett Holt, secretary OF the board strik-
ing feature Of all addresses was the slight men
! ton made of Mr.. Rockefeller whose munifcence
created the institute. His name was mentioned
only parenthetcally as the giver of the money
which built the institute and provoked not the
slightest applause. Mr.. Rockefeller himself was
not present but his son, John d, Rockefeller.
jr. modestly occupied a seat in the audience
unObserved by most OF those present Among
the others present were DR.. Jacoby DR.. Trudeau
and Cornelius n. Bliss.
DR.. WEIGH presided. The first speaker was
DR.. Holt who told of the origin and growth OF
the institute Five years ago FIVE men met in
Washington hotel at the invitation of Mr.. Rookie
feIleF. Subsequently two more men were added
to the tentative board, and on June IL, 1901,
the institute was incorporated, Mr.. Rockefeller
having pledged 100000 for preliminary work.
The Schermerhorn estate was purchased in the
following year, and since then the work has
made slow but steady progress.
Applications from men and women here and
abroad for places in the new institute were
received from the beginning, but the board be-
lieving the work would prosper best through the
administration Of practical and keen Americans.
decided to draw the staff from this country tn-
stead of bringing over European scientists.
The picked men who now comprise the stan
of the institute DR.. Simon Flexner. Or. z.
L. Opie, Dr. II. Nogouchi. DR.. ]. z. Smoot and
DR.. II. S. Houghton, in the department of pathOl-
ogy and haeteriology; Or. S. j. Meltzer and DR..
John Auer, physiology. and DR.. P A. Levene
and DR.. W. Beatty, in the department Of chem
istry. Five resident felIowships and scholar
ships have been granted these being awarded
to b. F. Terry. zoology; r. d. McLaurin, chem
istry; Charles A. Reniller, chemistry, and 2. H.
Shorer and Miss Bertha J. Barker, bacteriology.
In outlining the scope of the work Of the
institute DR.. Holt said:
Much work must always be done IN the funda-
mental subjects of chemistry, biology. physi-
ology and pathology, for upon these basic SCI
ences future discoveries in medical science must
largely rest While fully realizing the i'm
portance of these and literally providing for
t5en IN ito lshoratory the instifute aims at the
same time to keep close TO the practical side
and will endeavor to apply the latest discoveries
in science to problems connected with the pre-
Vention and cure Of disease. In order that the
greatest good can be accomplished along these
lines the board realizes that a nOSp1tal closely
AFFILIATED with the institute is Indispensable
Only in this way is IL possible for those who
work in the laboratory to appreciate the relation
Of their work to the problems of practical medi-
cine The hospital need not be large but should
= be fully equipped. Such a hospital IL Is hoped
NAV soon be added TO the institute, in which the
closest kind of scientific study may be given 20
obscure diseased conditions
From the beginning the institute has sought
not to monopoliZe the field. but TO cooperate in
all possible ways with existing agencies for
medical research in this country. II has coop
Grated with the Health Department OF New York
in the study Of the conditions surrounding the
production and distribution Of the milk supply
of the city, and the effects of milk upon the
health Of the children In the tenements, also
with the commission appointed by the city in
1904 to study the prevalence Of the acute re-
| spiratory diseases, and with that appointed In
1905 to investigate cerebro spinal meningitis II
has united with Harvard University in sending
a man TO Manila to study certain phases 0f
smallpox. With the same end in view, also II
has made grants each year to assist important
Investigations which were being carried on in
various places.
Dr. Welch, who followed. told of the work of
medical research, beginning with Dr. Robert
Koch in the Royal Institute in Berlin in 1890
| and with Dr. Pasteur, six years later in Paris
which had paved the way for the present enter
| prise. In this country, doing work on parallel
lines, he said. the Memorial Institute in
Chicago. founded by Mr.. Rockefeller's sOn-in-
law, Harold s. Mccormick. the Phipps labora-
tories in Pittsfield and the work against tuber-
culoss Of the Carnegie Institute. He also highly
praised the work of preventing disease done in
the isthmian canal belt by Colonel Gorgas
President Butler dwelt on the responsibilities
! OF men of science. declaring that this country
| to hold its place must cultivate more earnest
! spirit. of thoroughness rather than OF super
! hciai even il brilliant, efficiency
/ DIR. Eliot received with great applause
! He said in part:
Educated public opinion needs ~ clearer idea
/ of what scientific medical research really is and
| of the capacity for great results which lies in
tho men who do the work. The educated public
has an idea of the value OF research In history,
! law and such things which lie in the past
! These arc concrete. They can appreciate the
! research OF the inventor who turns the work Of
the mast to present needs. But scientific medi-
cal research Is different. It's roots are In the
past but Il works In the future The purpose
Of this research Is 20 extend the power OF
knowledge 20 use the power Of the past 10 win
new things. The past Is the lever, the present
the fllIcrlim and the work Of research Is TO give
70 the world greater lever and stronger full
4 cruIn.
4 preconceived idea may be OF great mower
hut these ideas must be tested thOFoughly All
adverse hypothesis must he excluded The in
| vestigator must pursue the path OF truth even
| when he knows not the truth. A hypothesis
| that appears to be false IN the view OF later
are sometimes taken up and used 10 point the
way 20 truth. Whatever may be true OF the-
ology IL is certain that in science there AZ no
such thing as a final truth
The Rockefeller Institute is the first az ,tx
kind In this country, Mr.. Rockefeller has not
only built the institute. az a cost OF about s325