Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-01-20
SAVANTS SAY FOOD
We EAT PO|SONS
us TO OUR DEATH

Hundreds OF men and women who
are leaders in the quest OF human
knowledge assembled in Philadelphia
from all parts OF the United States and
even from foreign countries for the
sixty-second meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science. So big was the conference
that it had to be divided into a dozen
sections for the discussion of the diff
ferent branches of science.
THE spirit OF their reports is
eminently practical and in all branches
of research is shown the tendency 10
turn it's benefits more directly to
practical use. Then. too, there is the
general modest sentiment we have
just made a little progress during the
past year, gone a few steps further in
the march of progress
AS DIR. Charles w Eliot, president
eperitus Of Harvard University and
new president Of the association, said:
Scientists never believe they have all
the knowledge on a certain subject
bottled up and tightly corked. They
leave that to theology"
Statements of Learned Folk
Questions of social and economic
were discussed. The savants de-
clared:
THAT men are slowly poisoned to
death by the food they eat and diet
has a very important effect on men
tally and capacity for brain work
THAT the European war is only SUI
perficially a war of nations. Really
it is an industrial war, which ulti-
mately will make or break the world.
THAT the workers Of this country
urgently need vocational or industrial
training or 100000 agricultural
workers, not one per cent have had
any special training for their work,
and Of 1850, 900 persons engaged in
mining, manufacturing and allied
trades, not one per cent has had spe-
cial training.
THAT the use Of snails for food is
prehistoric, since they were evidently
the principal food Of people who lived
in caves in Syria in the paleolithic
age.
THAT the war in Europe has shifted
the burden OF medical progress TO the
shoulders Of American physicians and
scientists.
That foreign insect pests become
an increasing menace TO this country
as transoceanic transportation i'm
creases, and that the country is in
constant danger of insect invasion
from abroad.
THAT scientific progress during the
last thirty-hve years has reduced the
number of deaths in this country by
approximately 10000 a year"
\ Brain Workers Disease
An insidious disease which can not
be diagnosed and which saps the lives
of brain workers-the big men of the
woodland does not appreciably af-
efct those whose toll is purely physical
was described by Prof. LOUIS +. Bish-
OPP Of the medical school of Fordham
University. New York.
THE man who concentrates his
mind on deep study and abstract
thought loses his taste for vacations
| light literature and amusements of all
kinds after while. When this hap
pens he is in danger Of the most in
sidious OF diseases" said Dr. Bishop.
'He may feel perfectly we'll; no doc
tor, using ordinary methods of
examination. could find anything
wrong with him but he is slowly dy-
| ing.
I'm consequence of this, many lead
ers i'm the world of thought and re-
search are found wearing out i'm the
ifties, and nearly all the rest Of them
in the sixties"
Disease Without Symptoms
The degeneration process is a dis
ease without symptoms, except when
some organ has been SO far damaged
as to be unable TO do its work proper
ly. Indeed. an insidious rise of blood
pressure and the poisoning of the body
by proteins may be accomplished by
sense OF well-being.
"A man Of active affairs is in danger
when he loses the fatigue sense so that
his capacity for work seems to be in
creased at so, when il ought to be the
same as or less than in youth; when
the color becomes higher and the
capacity is lost for relaxation, light
literature, vacations, society and sane
amusements."
DIR. EIiot's Surprise
Dr. Eliot presided at the meeting
and il was he who electrified the aud
fence of 500 with the statement that
Germany owed the invention of most
of the great implements of destruc-
ton which she is using in the Europ-
can war to "freer" nations than her
self
From America comes the telegraph
and telephone" he said. From
France most Of the discoveries in APP
piled electricity and explosive engines.
From England the perfection of
natural sciences which have greatly
helped i'm hospital work. without