In his hours of relaxation, it is interesting for the physician occasionally to wander into the philosophical byways which offer opportunities for quiet reflection on medicine as a whole: its ends and aims, its pitfalls and dangers, its methods and standards and its accomplishments.
In this vein it seems desirable to consider the trend of morbidity in childhood, particularly with a view to evaluating the results of efforts for prevention and the lines along which future effort should be directed.
The first logical step requires a familiarity with pediatrics of the past and with the causes of its morbidity and mortality. Most pediatricians have dipped lightly into the pools of ancient knowledge, and all are familiar with the reputation credited to the authors of old of being past-masters in the observation and recording of clinical phenomena. In individual instances, this reputation is warranted, but in general, the outstanding and inevitable