Excerpt from Enteric Fever in India: And in Other Tropical and Sub-Tropical Regions; A Study in Epidemiology and Military Hygiene

Seu vetus est serum diligo sive novum must be the watch words of the Epidemiologist and of him who ventures into the perilous paths of Vital Statistics. It is possible that some will accord a somewhat chill reception to an appeal made from these stand points there is a tendency to regard the Epidemiologist as one who has performed good service in by-gone days before what are called exact methods of research were instituted, ' but who now lags superfluous on the stage while, on the other hand, the Vital Statistician is at best a dry and doubtful counsellor who seeks to obtain the figs of truth by the assiduous cultivation of the thistles of error.

But it is scarcely necessary to make a serious attempt to refute these misconceptions if at any time they concealed a modicum of truth in regard to either of the spheres of work taken separately, the obvious answer is that these stand or fall together, one being the inalienable complement and corrective of the other. With the advance of medicine and hygiene, the development of the science and art of bacteriology, along with the growth of the materials for, and the improvement in the methods of utilizing, Vital Statistics, the Epidemiologist now finds a more important and, indeed, an indispensable role in the combat with disease with the new and more precise weapons thereby placed at his disposal. He alone, indeed, can combine and direct the various forces working in the different spheres and, while utilizing the fruits of these labours, is in the best position to define the lines of advance and the points for fresh attack. To him especially are the privilege and the responsibility committed of following the scientific method, by formulating hypotheses of the uniformity of Nature on the assump tion of the harmony and intelligibility of natural processes, and thus of binding new knowledge to the old by links of rational theory and of working hypothesis. If he perform no higher func tion than that of outlining our ignorance, he will still promote the first step of advance.

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