The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

12 The Health Bulletin July, 1951that it might serve as a reminder to succeedinggenerations of students herethat, thorugh the efforts of such men,has come the greatness of Carohna."When he retired last year. Time Magazinehonored Dr. MacNider by describinghim as one of the world's top authoritieson diseases of the kidney andthe effects of age and injury on celltissue. At a testimonial dinner, lastJune, in his honor. Dr. Alfred N. Richards,of Philadelphia, said of Dr. Mac-Nider's work that it was known theworld over for the light it has thrownon the action of various therapeutic andtoxic agents, such as uranium, chloroformand mercury. The speaker continued:"No one of his friends thinks ofDr. MacNider simply as an inspired teacherand faithful investigator. Theyadmire him for these reasons; they revereand love him for other qualitiessimplicity, truthfulness, humerous understandingof the foibles, as well as thevirtues, of human beings—his own included.He has a genius for friendship."The facts upon which this article isbuilt were taken from biographies appearingin the State press, followingDr. MacNider's death. The late EdwardKidder Graham, while he was Presidentof the University of North Carolina,once made the statement to membersof the press attending a reception at theExecutive Mansion, in Raleigh, that thebest and most understandable Englishin the world is found in the columns ofour newspapers. It also might be statedthat the newspapers of today, with theircurrent facts and figures, will becomethe history of tomorrow, to which studentswill resort for information concerningthe age in which we are living.His Work WiU LiveDr. MacNider's accomplishments inthe field of medicine will continue to benot only useful, but inspirational. Hisfindings have become a permanent partof the book of medical knowledge. Thediscoveries he made, as a result of long,hard work, constitute a distinct contributionto medical practices. His greatestbeneficiaries, however, are not thosewith whom he worked, but those towhom they minister. It would be well forthe public to study the lives of ourgreat medical scientists, as well as toreap benefits of the discoveries theyhave made and are making. We allknow, for example, that we can be immuizedagainst smallpox, through vaccination.How many know that it wasEdward Jenner who discovered and putinto practice the principle of vaccination?His knowledge came through amilk maid. It would be well for eachperson reading this article to read aboutJenner and others whose discoverieshave prolonged human life.We know that a person who has beenbitten by a rabid dog may escape hydrophobiaby taking the Pasteur treatment.There are many who do not thinkof Pasteur as a personality, but atechnique. Everyone is familiar withpasteurized milk, but how many knowthat it was Louis Pasteur who discoveredthat heat would kill harmful bacteriain milk? This noted scientist mademany other discoveries which not onlyhave prolonged human life, but savedproducers of sUk worms, poultry andanimals millions of dollars. The life ofLouis Pasteur was all the more remarkablebecause of the fact that some ofhis most important discoveries weremade after his recovery from a severestroke of paralysis.Another scientist who made a valuablecontribution to the art of prolonginglife was Joseph Lister, the father ofaseptic surgery. It has been said of himthat he applied principles which werediscovered by Pasteur.Many of our great scientists were,themselves, sufferers from various ailments.Yet, their purposes were notselfish, but dedicated to hximanity. Noworthwile medical discovery is sold formoney, but it is given to the publicthrough physicians in all fields. Dr.MacNider, to whose memory this articleis dedicated, made many important observationsduring his long career inmedical research. He, no doubt, hadhis moments of discouragement, but hismeasure of success made him a valuablecontributor to humanity. We mustnot think of scientific discoveries wholly