Human Biology and Racial Welfare

by Edmund V. Cowdry

HUMAN BIOLOGY AND RACIAL WELFARE Contributors WALTER B. CANNON WILLIAM HEALY RAYMOND PEARL ALEXIS CARREL ALES HRDLICKA EARLE B. PHELPS EDMUND V. COWDRY ELLSWORTH HUNTINGTON SIR HUMPHRY ROLLESTON EDWIN GRANT CONKLIN PAUL A. LEWIS HENRY NORRIS RUSSELI CHARLES B. DAVENPORT ARCHIBALD B. MACALLUM SIR CHAS. S. SHERRINGTON JOHN DEWEY ELMER V. McCOLLUM WILLIAM M. WHEELER HAVEN EMERSON ROBERT A. MILLIKAN CLARK WISSLER JOHN F. FULTON GEORGE H. PARKER ROBERT M. YERKES WILLIAM KING GREGORY HARRY A OVERSTREET HANS ZINSSER Edited by EDMUND V. COWDRY Professor of Cytology, Washington University, St. Louis WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY EDWIN R. EMBREE ILLUSTRATED r LONDON H. K. mWIS CO., LTD. 1930 COPYRIGHT, 1930, BY PAUL B. HOEBER, INC. All Rights Reserved PUBLISHED FEBRUARY, 1930 Printed m the United States of America PREFACE Each one of us feels in his own experience ap insistent urge to specialize in order that he may do, not a variety of things, bltf ffgtt fh ig better and more quickly. He must swim with the stream or he will not survive. It is true in business as in science. In one way this concentration is good, and in another it is bad. It is good since it is the essence of progress which makes the world a better place to live in, but the individual suffers. The more successful he is as a specialist, the more difficult it is for him to avoid becoming narrow-minded. Because he does not understand the hopes and aspirations of others he may also become intolerant. He may adopt a condescending attitude toward his fellows whom he regards as less favored. The situation has not been helped by the action of edu cators in permitting specialization very early in the curricu lum before the students can secure a broad grasp of the problems of human life and of the methods of attacking them. Indeed it grows worse because through specialization, advances in the sciences dealing with man have been so phenomenal that each has come almost to speak in a lan guage of its own which is difficult to understand without much preliminary study. Thus, barriers are erected which prevent breadth of view and which breed intolerance. It is really a vicious cycle which hands out great benefits with one hand and iron-bound restrictions with the other. The purpose of this book is to play a small part in breaking down these barriers in respect to the group of sciences which have a definite bearing on human welfare and are referred to collectively as human biology. This will also make for progress because many of the real problems lie between the sciences and are not perceived without broad knowledge. To do so involves team work by many specialists with the idea of describing in simple language the goal which they are striving for. It is also a kind of return to the public for value received for research in the pure sciences is never self-supporting. Ther must be give as well as take. VI PREFACE The book is written for two groups of readers. First, for students who are about to specialize and can do so more intelligently after they have seen in perspective what lies ahead. This applies particularly to medical students who in order to be good physicians must above all be good biologists. A knowledge of what is known of human life past, present and possible future, is fqr them essential. In the second place it is hoped that the book will be of interest, to readers of mature years occupied both in science and in business who have an inquiring turn of mind and wish to look a little below the surface. In this way it may assist in the movement in favor of adult education which is gaining momentum within the United States and is destined to spread. Valuable suggestions have been received from many quarters not only by the Editor, but by the individual contributors who have one and all entered enthusiastically into the spirit of the enterprise writing on their own re sponsibility and making acknowledgment when necessary. The editor, however, is particularly grateful to Dr...

612 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930