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Crop production, poisoned food and public health
5:4
PUBLIC H E A L T H .
sequence " in s p e a k i n g of one illness following another, m a y be s o m e w h a t m i s l e a d i n g to the lay public. A p a r t from a few such points, tJ s little book has u n d o u b t e d merits. T h e sequence is good, the information is p r e s e n t e d in an a t t r a c t i v e and s t r a i g h t - f o r w a r d way, a n d the a u t h o r m a y be c o n g r a t u l a t e d on a useful piece of work. CROP PRODUCTION, POISONED FOOD AND PUBLIC HEALTH, by JOHN HEPBURN ( L o c k w o o d ' s
Manuals.) 1925. (Price 7s. 6d.) C r o s b y L o c k w o o d & Son, London. W e have received a copv of this b o o k t o g e t h e r with a sample of E n g l i s h - g r o w n w h e a t infected with " T i l l e t i a T r l t i c i . " or " B u n t s , " from Mr. John Honburn, Bradfield Halt, E s s e x . M'r. H e p b u r n has been experimenting" for m a n y vears and claims t h a t his e x p e r i m e n t s shew that b e t t e r crops free from disease can be p r o d u c e d by his m e t h o d s of sub-soillna" and surface sowing. It is explained in the b o o k t h a t o r d i n a r y p l o u g h i n g onlv stirs or) the soll to a depth of some six inches and t h a t the effect of the w e i g h t of the horses or heavv t r a c t o r s is to develor) a h a r d pan under the stlrred-ur) soil. In Mr. H e p b u r n ' s m e t h o d of sub-soillnff, the soil is stirred to a depth of some 90 inches, and the pressure which helps to form the hard pan is avoided bv using stationery engines which o~erate the p l o u g h bv cable. I l l u s t r a t l o n s a,e fflven throu~'hout the b o o k to b r l n ~ out Mr. H e p b u r n ' s points and to shew tl~at, even in the case of infected seed, the crop will not develoo d}sease roving to the increase of its r e s i s t i n g power. Mr. H e r ) b u r n ' s e x p e r i m e n t s a p p e a r to have interested the A g e n t - G e n e r a l for South AnstrMia, the Colonization D e p a r t m e n t of the Canadian Pacific R a i l w a y , and v a r i o u s a g r i c u l t u r a l colleges in this country. The exp e r i m e n t s do not deal onlv with wheat, b u t the m e t h o d s a p p e a r to be applicable to beans, r)otatoes and m a n y other crops. N o doubt Mr. H e r ) b u r n ' s results wilt be t h o r o u g h l y tested by a~'rlcultural e x p e r t s c o m n e t e n t to deal with the matter, for confirmation would entail a revolution in a~rlcnlture. A n n a r e n t l v the reason why Mr. H e p b u r n has added to the title of his b o o k the w o r d s " P o i s o n e d F o o d and Public H e a l t h , " is that he has lumped to the conclusion t h a t d~seased crofts are the cause of much disease a m o n g animals and also a m o n g h u m a n beings. Medical r e a d e r s of the b o o k will not find much real evidence to connect disease in crop wlth diseases in men and animals, b n t will nevertheless wish Mr. H e p b u r n snccess in a c a m p a i g n for
NOVEMBER,
securing healthier and more a b u n d a n t crops. It will be a surprise to most medical men to learn t h a t such e l e m e n t a r y m a t t e r s in the feeding of crops as the depth to which the soil should be d u g a n d the depth at which the seed should be sown a r e not yet settled, b u t in this respect the medical profession a r e in no position to t h r o w stones, as the whole question of the f e e d i n g of h u m a n b e i n g s is only g r a d u a l l y , d u r i n g these last few years, b e i n g put on a scientific basis. The tendency in P u b l i c H e a l t h is m o r e and more to t r u s t to b e t t e r intuition to increase the p o w e r of the individual to resist disease, and Mr. H e p b u r n is w o r k i n g on similar lines with r e g a r d to crops. By SINCLAIR LEWIS. L o n d o n : J o n a t h a n Cape, Ltd. This b o o k is at once a m a s t e r p i e c e of fiction and a s c a t h i n g satire. M a r t i n A r r o w s m i t h is the m o d e r n Dr. F a u s t u s , of America. t-re s t a r t s life as a medical s t u d e n t with more than the usual e n d o w m e n t of b r a i n s and g o o d feelings, a n d associates with all k i n d s and conditions of medical MARTIN ARROWSMITH.
men.
B e i n g of a v e r y i m p r e s s i o n a b l e n a t u r e he sees g o o d in every new enterprise, and is at first thrilled at every fresh p r o s p e c t of c h a n g i n g the old o r d e r and m a k i n g a new world where no-one is " t o be allowed to be i l l . " But he is as speedily disillusioned by the c o m m e r c i a l i s m , i n c a p a c i t y and low ideals of the men in w h o m he had put his trust. " I g e t a little tired s o m e t i m e s , " said his wife, Leora, "watching" you rush up and put y o u r neck in every n o o s e . " H i s credulity w a s g r e a t , his e n t h u s i a s m easily stirred, but he w a s just as easily d i s c o u r a g e d , and had little p o w e r of sticking to any one b r a n c h of medicine or research. H e puts one after a n o t h e r of the notable men he meets on a pedestal, only to find t h a t his l a s t idol has feet of clay like the rest. T h u s early in the day we read " T h e g r e a t g o d Sondelius had slain D e a n Silva as Silva had slain Gottlieb, Gottlleb had slain " E n c o r e " E d w a r d s , the playful chemist, E d w a r d s had slain Doe V i c k e r s o n . " T h e whole g a m u t of the medical p r o f e s s i o n p a s s e s in review from c o u n t r y p r a c t i t i o n e r s to consultants, from s t r u g g l i n g university p r o f e s s o r s to the heads of g r e a t scientific institutes, and each and every m e m b e r of the profession is held up to scorn and ridicule. W h a t the A m e r i c a n medical world has to s a y of the b o o k it wouId be i n t e r e s t i n g to hear. B e r n a r d S h a w ' s g r e a t satire on E n g l i s h medical men, T h e D o c t o r s " D i l e m m a , is severe, b u t this b o o k is a far more s c a t h i n g indictment
PUBLIC H E A L T H .
sequence " in s p e a k i n g of one illness following another, m a y be s o m e w h a t m i s l e a d i n g to the lay public. A p a r t from a few such points, tJ s little book has u n d o u b t e d merits. T h e sequence is good, the information is p r e s e n t e d in an a t t r a c t i v e and s t r a i g h t - f o r w a r d way, a n d the a u t h o r m a y be c o n g r a t u l a t e d on a useful piece of work. CROP PRODUCTION, POISONED FOOD AND PUBLIC HEALTH, by JOHN HEPBURN ( L o c k w o o d ' s
Manuals.) 1925. (Price 7s. 6d.) C r o s b y L o c k w o o d & Son, London. W e have received a copv of this b o o k t o g e t h e r with a sample of E n g l i s h - g r o w n w h e a t infected with " T i l l e t i a T r l t i c i . " or " B u n t s , " from Mr. John Honburn, Bradfield Halt, E s s e x . M'r. H e p b u r n has been experimenting" for m a n y vears and claims t h a t his e x p e r i m e n t s shew that b e t t e r crops free from disease can be p r o d u c e d by his m e t h o d s of sub-soillna" and surface sowing. It is explained in the b o o k t h a t o r d i n a r y p l o u g h i n g onlv stirs or) the soll to a depth of some six inches and t h a t the effect of the w e i g h t of the horses or heavv t r a c t o r s is to develor) a h a r d pan under the stlrred-ur) soil. In Mr. H e p b u r n ' s m e t h o d of sub-soillnff, the soil is stirred to a depth of some 90 inches, and the pressure which helps to form the hard pan is avoided bv using stationery engines which o~erate the p l o u g h bv cable. I l l u s t r a t l o n s a,e fflven throu~'hout the b o o k to b r l n ~ out Mr. H e p b u r n ' s points and to shew tl~at, even in the case of infected seed, the crop will not develoo d}sease roving to the increase of its r e s i s t i n g power. Mr. H e r ) b u r n ' s e x p e r i m e n t s a p p e a r to have interested the A g e n t - G e n e r a l for South AnstrMia, the Colonization D e p a r t m e n t of the Canadian Pacific R a i l w a y , and v a r i o u s a g r i c u l t u r a l colleges in this country. The exp e r i m e n t s do not deal onlv with wheat, b u t the m e t h o d s a p p e a r to be applicable to beans, r)otatoes and m a n y other crops. N o doubt Mr. H e r ) b u r n ' s results wilt be t h o r o u g h l y tested by a~'rlcultural e x p e r t s c o m n e t e n t to deal with the matter, for confirmation would entail a revolution in a~rlcnlture. A n n a r e n t l v the reason why Mr. H e p b u r n has added to the title of his b o o k the w o r d s " P o i s o n e d F o o d and Public H e a l t h , " is that he has lumped to the conclusion t h a t d~seased crofts are the cause of much disease a m o n g animals and also a m o n g h u m a n beings. Medical r e a d e r s of the b o o k will not find much real evidence to connect disease in crop wlth diseases in men and animals, b n t will nevertheless wish Mr. H e p b u r n snccess in a c a m p a i g n for
NOVEMBER,
securing healthier and more a b u n d a n t crops. It will be a surprise to most medical men to learn t h a t such e l e m e n t a r y m a t t e r s in the feeding of crops as the depth to which the soil should be d u g a n d the depth at which the seed should be sown a r e not yet settled, b u t in this respect the medical profession a r e in no position to t h r o w stones, as the whole question of the f e e d i n g of h u m a n b e i n g s is only g r a d u a l l y , d u r i n g these last few years, b e i n g put on a scientific basis. The tendency in P u b l i c H e a l t h is m o r e and more to t r u s t to b e t t e r intuition to increase the p o w e r of the individual to resist disease, and Mr. H e p b u r n is w o r k i n g on similar lines with r e g a r d to crops. By SINCLAIR LEWIS. L o n d o n : J o n a t h a n Cape, Ltd. This b o o k is at once a m a s t e r p i e c e of fiction and a s c a t h i n g satire. M a r t i n A r r o w s m i t h is the m o d e r n Dr. F a u s t u s , of America. t-re s t a r t s life as a medical s t u d e n t with more than the usual e n d o w m e n t of b r a i n s and g o o d feelings, a n d associates with all k i n d s and conditions of medical MARTIN ARROWSMITH.
men.
B e i n g of a v e r y i m p r e s s i o n a b l e n a t u r e he sees g o o d in every new enterprise, and is at first thrilled at every fresh p r o s p e c t of c h a n g i n g the old o r d e r and m a k i n g a new world where no-one is " t o be allowed to be i l l . " But he is as speedily disillusioned by the c o m m e r c i a l i s m , i n c a p a c i t y and low ideals of the men in w h o m he had put his trust. " I g e t a little tired s o m e t i m e s , " said his wife, Leora, "watching" you rush up and put y o u r neck in every n o o s e . " H i s credulity w a s g r e a t , his e n t h u s i a s m easily stirred, but he w a s just as easily d i s c o u r a g e d , and had little p o w e r of sticking to any one b r a n c h of medicine or research. H e puts one after a n o t h e r of the notable men he meets on a pedestal, only to find t h a t his l a s t idol has feet of clay like the rest. T h u s early in the day we read " T h e g r e a t g o d Sondelius had slain D e a n Silva as Silva had slain Gottlieb, Gottlleb had slain " E n c o r e " E d w a r d s , the playful chemist, E d w a r d s had slain Doe V i c k e r s o n . " T h e whole g a m u t of the medical p r o f e s s i o n p a s s e s in review from c o u n t r y p r a c t i t i o n e r s to consultants, from s t r u g g l i n g university p r o f e s s o r s to the heads of g r e a t scientific institutes, and each and every m e m b e r of the profession is held up to scorn and ridicule. W h a t the A m e r i c a n medical world has to s a y of the b o o k it wouId be i n t e r e s t i n g to hear. B e r n a r d S h a w ' s g r e a t satire on E n g l i s h medical men, T h e D o c t o r s " D i l e m m a , is severe, b u t this b o o k is a far more s c a t h i n g indictment