17 to 19 per thousand. I will not burden you with further statistics, but will simply say that even more notable results have been obtained in many parts of the civilized world as a result of increased knowledge and improved methods for the prevention of infectious diseases and the general improvement in hygienic conditions.
The time at my disposal only permits of a brief general survey of the field which comes within the purview of the department of preventive medicine of the Washington Post-Graduate Medical School. It will be our aim during the course to give detailed information and practical laboratory instruction upon all the more important subjects connected with this branch of medicine. This will be apparent to those who have read our 'circular of information' with reference to the course of instruction. This includes personal and municipal hygiene, a practical knowledge of sanitary chemistry, including food adulterations and pathogenic bacteria, of animal parasites injurious to man, of preventive inoculations, of disinfection, of military and naval hygiene, of national and international quarantine, etc. Fortunately we have among our professors, experts upon all of these subjects and we believe that the city of Washington offers unequaled facilities for a comprehensive and scientific course of instruction in preventive medicine. Such a course as would seem best fitting for preparing graduates in medicine for the responsible duties of health officers in the towns and cities throughout the United States, and as is essential for medical officers in the various branches of the public service. But, while we have many special advantages for giving a comprehensive and practical course in the department of preventive medicine, it must not be thought that clinical medicine and surgery are to be neglected. On the contrary, we have ample advantages for clinical instruction in the various hospitals of the city and a corps of competent and experienced professors who are prepared to give practical instruction in all branches of medicine and surgery. Those physicians who enroll themselves as students in the Washington Post-Graduate Medical School and faithfully follow the course of instruction which is open to them, can not fail to return to their professional work with broader and more exact information on many subjects relating to scientific medicine, with increased skill in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and with greater confidence in the resources of the noble profession to which they have devoted their lives.
