The Washington herald., 1913-02-02
Dr. Carl L. AlSberg Recommends Diet for Indoor and
Outdoor Workers and Praises Pure Food
Law-Sketch of His Career

astronomy and other subjects Nv first
lesson in geography was taken on the
brooklyn Bridge. The tutor had a com.
pass and a map of the city of New
York. That was the way he taught
| "heh was nine, i entered a Latin
school in Harlem. 1t was so good that
II was soon closed up. l was ready for
| college at the age of fifteen. Ny youth
kept me out of Harvard. Columbia Uni
versity graduated me when / was nine
| teen.
| Il had thought. meanwhile, of chem
istry as a profession. My father advised
| ne to take up something else. lie saw
ahead to the time when he would die
or retire from business. In either event.
were / a chemist, the paint factory
would come under my management. He
| said that the manufacture of Paris green
was an unhealthful occupation. But
chemistry. though the factory doomed
! unpleasantly in the distance, attracted
| me just the same
In those days biological chemistry
was not a profession in this country. 1t
| can be defined as the science which deals
with the substances of life and their re-
actions upon one another The nearest
approach to it here was physiological
chemistry, which has to do with the tis-
sues and functions of plants and ami
mails. | entered the College of Physi-
y
especially to study the branch Of chem
istry that interested me the most.
Three Men Influenced His Life.
Two great men had given form and
direction to my college life. They were
Edmund Beecher Wilson, the zoologist.
and George Woodbury.. the professor of
literature. Wilson increased my enthu-
siasm for science; Woodbury. taught me
a love OF the beautiful. / was young
and lmpressiOnable and they had a
wholesome and inspiring influence OH my
mind. Graduated as physician, | be-
gan to look around. 1 had never meant
I" practice medicine. Indeed had
only been a cor InonrIacc student and
80 was not PIN Beta Capp;. man. Still.
had worked very hard on matter
outside of my meuIraI course. The third
great mani Phocbus A. Levene. hac
gained my admiration and discipleship
He Is one OF the most distinguished
biological chemists in the world. When
made his acquaintance. he was the
chemist AT the New York Hospital Tor
the Insane. He is now chief of the
chemical department of Rockefeller In
Stuutc ! worked with him while l was
studying medicine. He is the man.
really. who caused me to make the
chemical side OF biology profession
Ny education was completed IN Germany,
wher" l spent three years at the best
universities
4 returned home to become a teacher
Of chemistry at tine medical school of |
Harvard University. remaining there SIX |
Years and rising IN rank to be a faculty
instructor. The position was very bur- !
densome. had to keep accounts and |
write all of my correspondence out IN |
ionShand. Research investigation was i'm
possible. / looked into the future and
the best I could see was fun professor
Snip. which is an honorable and useful |
office. My preparation. however qualified
me. l thought, for something different
and more active. l wanted in short. a |
broader and more original Held. Then
came an invitation TO I'LL a place in the
tureau of Plant Industry. Department.
Df Agriculture. \ man was needed to
study the poisonous and alleged medical
nora of the tinted States. L accepted
the opportunity-against the advice or
Ut. Eliot. by the way-beCause the work
vas within my own specially 1 could
be a nobody in Washington, | said. lust
as easily as al Cambridge
Does spoiled Corn Cause PeIIarr,.
we began with plants believed TO be
poisonous, and that led US into a study
1t spoiled corn. the eating of which, il
VAS supposed. caused the disease known
as pellagra. That is still the theory of
many scientific men in Italy, the Prov
nee Of Tyrol in Austria. and in this
Our own Investigations, let me
add, have not established any connec-
ion between spoiled corn and peIlagra
The cause of the disease, so far as we :
ire concerned, continues to be a mys-
cry.
Poisonous plants cause heavy losses