The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-03-18

8iolos;osl Research In Westsrs Col
orsdo
Never has there been as great in
terest in research as at the present
time. This is largely due to the
world war. Every nation found out
during the war that next to men and
their morale the most important
thing was the discovery of new ways
of protecting life, of preserving life,
of contributing to the needs Of life,
and Of destroying life. The nations
that were the most productive in re-
search work before and during the
war were the ones who lost tho few
est lives in proportion to the number
engaged in battle.
Since the war, these same nations
have all realized ta,at tho people that
are to develop most in peace times
will be those that develop most in re-
search lines, because where the new
est and best scientific knowledge is
practiced, fewer lives arc lost, great
er happiness ia likely to prevail, and
greater pecuniary returns sre made.
Because of this realization On the
part of governmental. financial aid ia
now being given or b planned for
those who have the power OF research
on important questions, even by those
nations that are all but bankrupt.
Biological research saved Thousands
Of lives during the war and added to
the efficiency Of many other thou
sands. It can and is doing even great
er service in peace times
During the last few years much
biological research energy has been
directed toward the study Of the life
histories and eradication Of parasitic
animals and plants. In the animal
world, the fly, the mosquito. the tick.
the louise, the leech, tho flea, the
hookworm, the trichina worm, have
been carefully studied; and important
results have been obtained. At pres
ent considerable research energy Is
being directed toward tho study Of
the parasites Of common pond snails,
because these parasdtes have been
found to be tho carriers Of several
serious diseases of men and domestic
animals.
One particularly grave problem
is presented wherever Orientals live
In the United States, since quite q
large percentage Of them harbor one
or moro Of thess snail-carrisd dis
cases. Although not usually very
serious for tho Oriental. yet they are
serious, indeed. for white persons.
This disease clogs up the blood
stream to and from the intestines
and other parts Of the body. II no
new methods Of fighting thsse para
sites of the email can be'sfound.
stricter immigration laws Win prob
ably have to be made. We. are finding
out lately that seversI Of our immi-
grafton problems arc first biological
problems and second economic prob
lens. The biologic problem Is likely
to be . permanent ono. whereas the
economic problem Is not nearly so
deep-rooted and permanent.
In the plant world hundreds Of dis
eases are caused by rusts, smuts, fun
81, etc. These will have to be checked,
and 1t will take years Of diligent re-
search to learn their life histories
and extingulsh or control them.
Ths biological laboratory Of the
Colorado State Normal School at
Gunnison will turn most Of its At
tendon to research along two lines:
first, towards . discovery of new bio
logical facts and laws and their ap-
plication to educational problems; sec
ond, to solving the complex life histo-
ries Of parasites that affect the human
and domestic animals Of this region.
Beginning with the summer quar-
ter. 1920, opportunity will be given
to men and women to prepare them
selves for research work along these
lines, and to advanced students to
pursue Individual research work. No
field of study has greater opportu-
mites for development in research in
Western Colorado than biology, be-
cause the field is so large, and it has
barely been touched; the surface has
cn'y beer scratched
JOHN C. JOHNSON.