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70
The work of the Committee is not so much in the nature
of research itself as generally understood, but has conformed
more to the definition given to that word by Lieut.-General
Sir William Leishman, Director-General of the Army Medical
Service in his address on " Research in the Medical Service,"
to the Royal Society of Medicine, October 12th, 1925. The
address begins thus : —
"At the outset it is my purpose, if I can, to remove
from your minds the impression that Research is of
necessity an esoteric matter, confined to mysterious laboratories,
and that it can be carried out only by professors
and specialists who have given years of work to their
subject, and who are ' peculiar folk ' and talk in a vongue
'not understanded of the people.' It is true that much
experimental enquiry demands expert knowledge, special
equipment, and comes within the opportunity of comparatively
few of us: but I prefer to give to the word
Research a much wider significance, and to take it to cover
any means by which we, of set purpose, and of deliberate
plan, strive to add to the existing knowledge of the cause,
the prevention, and the treatment of disease."
Working on these lines, much good has ensued from the
meetings, and a number of helpful suggestions have been
formulated for the betterment of the health of the community.
For sources from which information concerning nonnotifiable
diseases are obtained see page 14.