Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-12
DR.. WileyLooks Back 81 Years


Him with our finite minds2 II He Is
/ inconceivahle, then why spend time
/ specializing about Him?"
A Slender Hope.
do you believe In the existence OF
/ the soul?"
Il have never found any reason to
believe in the existence of soul" re-
piled DR.. Wiley as cheerfully as though
he we're prognosticating about the
weather. Il find no reason to believe
| that death is not the end of all, so
far as personal consciousness is con-
cerned, and | suppose that is what you
mean by the soul
Then for moment his cheerfulness
fell away from him. A faraway look
came into the bright brown eyes and
a note of sadness into the friendly
warm voice. But I have no hope. /
hope that some day, somewhere. will
see my father and mother again 1t is
only hope, the slenderest thread. but
l cling to 1t, while my mind tells me
that 1t depends from nothing at all,
that there is no single scientific hook
on which to hang 1t.
II do not criticize other peoples re-
ligion, / send my boys to Sunday
school because ! want them to know
life as 1t Is. I contribute regularly to
a church / even preached once in a
| Presbyterian church, choosing my text
carefully. But I do not see how any
thoughtful person can avoid being an
agnostic. / wrote a poem about IS
years ago. which / called The Agnostic
Greed, but / couldn't sell 1t.
Picture me then. coming out OF
medical college. shorn of theology. but
filled with the desire to serve. Even
then l had vague premonition of
what was later known as preventive
medicine as opposed TO curative medi-
cine. AS early as 1873 / wanted to
study pSycho-analysis though IL wasn't
called that or anything else In those
days. l wanted to serve by preventing
suffering and | had the dim begin
nings Of realization that the worst suf-
ferings are not In the body. or that
they are frequently transmitted 10 the
/ body by the influence Of the mind and
emotions,
Fight for Pure Foods Act.
About that time my life took a turn
/ that made great difference. | was
made professor Of chemistry at the
Indiana Medical College. 1t was then
that l definitely ceased to be bed
side physician l became the chemist,
/ studied at Harvard; I went abroad to
I Berlin and there laid the foundation
/ for my work for pure foods. 1t hap
pened oddly enough~~though / have
noticed that most OF the turning points
of my life have seemed to be inevita-
BILE. | didn't have much choice. there
wasn't but one thing to choose. When
l arrived in Berlin I found no desk
room left with Hoffman. so l procured
space with Sell then chief chemist Of
the Imperial German Board of Health
where / got my first taste OF medical
science IN relation TO the general health
of peoples
I'm 1888 / was made chief chemist
OF the Department of Agriculture and
made my fight for purity In foods
which resulted In the passage OF the
Federal pure food and drugs act"
What do you think of physical life
tn modern times?" ] asked expecting
him to launch into eulogies Of the old
days But not Doc" Wiley as he Is
affectionately called In Washington
II think people are much better of
They eat better they are learning the
value of an outdoor life and sleeping
porcheS are far more common than they
used to be We eat more meat and
sugar than Is good for us, OF course.
but we are progressing
temperance Is a great AID mean
temperance In all things, Then. people
worry too much. They are never happy
unless they are miserable They make
worry their life work Pack up your
troubles IN your old Kit bag Is my
motto"
Dr Wiley does not smoke or drink
Prohibition he regards as The most
glorious thing that ever happened TO
The United States, He approves ahso-
lutely of modern dress for women The
low-neeked dress he believes to be q
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