100 YEARS AGO

The Scottish Sanitary Congress was opened at Stranraer on Thursday last... Prof. Glaister, in the course of his remarks, urged that men of science and local authorities should realise the detrimental effect of atmospheric pollution, and together grapple with the subject. The prejudicial effects of town living could not be better demonstrated than in the depreciated physique of the third and fourth generations of many of those who had proceeded from the country to the towns. One of the significant features of present-day statistics, and one calling for the serious consideration of sanitarians, was the high prevailing rate of infantile mortality in populous centres. If the state of the principal English towns for 1901 be considered, it will be found that the infantile death rate varied from 126 per thousand up to 226 per thousand. These figures exhibited a great wastage of infantile life. He affirmed that it was a preventable wastage, and, therefore, worthy the reflections of sanitarians. Such high rates of infantile mortality were bound in the future to become a serious national concern in view of the diminution of the birth rate which had been progressively taking place for the last few decades.

From Nature 10 September 1903.

50 YEARS AGO

In an imaginative but well-authenticated article, Nigel Balchin, the well-known psychologist and author, examines the way in which the growth of industry has affected the outlook and philosophy of those who work in large or small industrial undertakings... A comparison is made between the life of the agricultural worker and of the individual whose working life is confined to the factory, and Balchin concludes that the impact of industry upon the worker has been to destroy the simple and direct significance of work done and hence to sever the mental link between 'work' and life. In these circumstances 'work' is liable to become something which has no logic or point in itself. The impact of the huge and complicated industry structure on the worker has been to confuse the mind as to his real desires and requirements and to leave him with a vague impression that man exists for industry rather than vice versa.

From Nature 12 September 1953.