The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-20


 Origo of disease, medical science must necessarily have invaded the Sphere
 of Influence of many other sciences.
 'In true catholicity of spirit she has involved the assistance of them all All human knowledge has been made trib- utary to her needs, and all known arts duplicated in her practice.
 Physics, chemistry, biology and en- gineerng, the learning of the lawyer. the power of the press, and the wisdom of the legislator, nave all been freely drawn upon to erect the wonderful struc- ture of modern modicine structure in which the dream of the poet and the yearning of the philanthropist have been realized in the performance of the phy sician. In the great work of alleviating human misery and prolonging human life, The earth is here and the full ness thereof.
 Physics and engineering science have made large contributions to the needs of medicine and surgery The splint which support of the broken limb and the suture which reunite the severed tissues, are calculated as nicely as regards tensile strength and compressive resistance, as are the concrete arches which span our ravines and rivers
 'The splendid systems of sewerage, which have reduced tile mortality of your great cities, are the products of the joint labor of the engineer and the san itarlum-par nobilis fratrum-who have worked harmoniously together for the common good. The success of their la bors is attested by the steadily dmin- ishing death rate in all great centers of population.
 "The engineer however, deals with gross material things-steel and concrete, brick and mortar-and when the field of bacteriology Is reached he transfers his medical co-worker to the guidance and help of the biologist and microscop- ist and bids him pursue his fruitful re- searches In the realm of infinitesimal things"
 Among other thi s Dr. Mcwhorter said:
 '.The triumps of sanitation lately achieved in the Antilles and the canal zone largely through the labors of Amer ican Yellow fever commission, have ceased to excite wonder or to provoke discussion. The man on the street has
 
 jungle, hitherto fatal to caucasian blood, has lost its deadly power and becomes a safe and comfortable dwelling place for all-conquering white man. He ac- cepts the fact with complacency as fur nishing a new field for the exercise of his expanding energies but gives but little thought to the toll and sacrifice that preceded the final triumph. Not one in ten knows that Lazear gave his life to establish the correctness of the mos quito theory of the yellow fever trans mission. With full knowledge of the con- sequences this soldier of science sub mitted to the fatal test and died that truth might be established and that men might live. Greater love than this hath no man. We hail the statesman whose genius and character have raised him to the summit of political preferment and renow We cheer the orator whose elo- uuence Is able to command the ap- plause of llstening senates We admire the courage that le..ds the charge in the wild delirlum of battle and weave the laurel crowns for the hero who susSins his country's honor on the stricken field, although he may but seek the bubble, reputation, even at the canon's mouth.' Shall we fail to honor the memory of the hero who, in the discharge of duty, met death in the pathway, and for the good of his fellow man, refused to turn aside?
 "Though thorns now spring on his neg lected grave, in the Valhalla of heroes, the world shall yet place the name of Lazear above that of the conqueror who 'wades through slaughter to a throne and shuts the gates of mercy on man. kind
 .'The economic importance of medical science is well illustrated at Panama. The necessity of that large investment of capital and the direction of great indus- trial enterprises should be controlled by by proof both of positive and negative character.
 Public Press as Factor.
 "Of all the influences that have cooper ated for the advancement of medical science none have been more potent or more helpful than the prodigious power and influence wielded by the public press. Leaving out of consideration the influence of the great medical journals, without the aid of which all progress would seem to be impossible and confinng our attention solely to the daily and weekly press, it is but just to say that the profession of Journalism has rendered services of incalculable value to the profession of medicine. Scanning with trained vision the whole field of human activities in his efforts to lay before us each morn ing the last thought and the latest oc- currence in law, legislation, religion or politics, the editor has not failed to re- medicine, or to predict with cheerful op- timism greater triumps yet to come. He has shown himself to be the herald of progress by blazing the way for medical kAforrns- He has educated great com