For a long time, I had been harboring a secret desire to write a Rubaiyat of my own which would outshine forever the famous quatrains of Omar Khayyam. Life in a sanatorium, however, has shown me the error of my ways, for now I know that Omar was wrong in his apotheosis of the ladies, the grape, and the euphonious mouthings which we call song.

Those of us who have read translations from the old Persian astronomer-who have slowly waded through the intricacies and mazes of his metrical philosophy, must have some notion of his drift. Omar postulates that the reason for our existence on the globe is characterized by a big WHY, and that we should let the past and future along and concern our clayey, crippled carcasses with only the joys of the present, for he says that when, on one occasion, he leaned to the lip of one of the earthern urns in his cellar and asked it to solve for him the secret of his life, it murmured

the point at issue is this: Omar Khayyam and the sanatorium rule-book, while they agree in Avaunt, worry! are at loggerheads as to the means to be employed. For instance, here is Omar's antidote for worry:

"Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter-and the Bird is on the Wing."

Did he who would get well attempt to lave his soul in the red juice of the vine, he would find that Omar is in wrong again. The rulebook makes clear that as all intoxicating beverages are deleterious influences, they are therefore taboo. How much more beautiful— how much more satisfying to the scrupulous sanatorium inmate would be Omar's sentrments if couched in terms other than those redolent of the crushed grape! How much more soothing to the thirsting spirit would be the following:

Come, fill the Cup, and ere the Bell doth Ring,
The Milk upon thy Epiglottis fling;
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter-And Hot Milk is just the Thing!

Personally, I have no objection to any of the things Omar exulted in. I have always felt a strange sensation which seemed to lift me up into the ether whenever woman bestowed upon me even a passing glance. During my stay at the sanatorium, I have often fondly imagined myself walking hand-in-hand along a sunlit, flower-bordered path with some lily plucked from Love's garden, but ever and anon when I realized the substance of my dream, a blush at my own temerity sprang unbid to my hairy cheek. I like women, all right, but their ostracism from my activities is one of the sanatorium's first laws. There is no advantage in admiring the ladies when it interferes with the health or the doctor's orders. If I must in the course of my sanatorium career indulge in that which is the privilege of every man the admiration of woman-let my heart soften toward one who is far away-some woman to whose soft glances may never be attributed loss of appetite or of sleep-some woman who may pluck at my heartstrings only by long-distance. That there is safety in numbers applies also to miles, and this, too, is retroactive upon the

sexes.

I cannot conscientiously cease this argument with Omar without giving him one parting shot, in an original quatrain:

Though Woman and her Ways hath ever sought To fill the Caverns of thy very Thought, Keep thyself calm!-In copious draughts of Milk

Drown the false Phantom-else thou wilt be caught.

In conclusion, it may be well to state that as the votaries of Wine will shortly be without a fetish, there is no doubt that the good old lacteal beverage will come into its own. And while Milk of itself may not produce the delightful, though transitory sensations that may be found in a mellow cup, and as the second of the titular series is practically prohibited at the sanatorium, there is still left the soothing influence of song to drive dull care away.

But as song itself to one with inca

pacitated lungs is an effort, we may safely conclude that Omar Khayyam, though he may have had the right idea in the olden days, and while his libations undoubtedly assisted him materially in his studies of the starry dome, today the principles for which he fought with trenchant pen no longer sway the popular mind, for laws are laws, and though we may sing in entreaty

"Backward, turn backward,

O Time, in your flight!"

the aeons will continue to roll ever onward, to the ultimate deification of the pale goddess -MILK.

the goal, this course of physical training should be accompanied by a series of lessons teaching the future parents of the nation the obligations of sound father- and motherhood and the proper raising of physically, mentally and morally sound children. No marriage certificate should be issued without both partners presenting a certificate of health by a medical man or woman of recognized professional standing.

To all this, of course, must be added sanitary housing of the masses, industrial hygiene, judicious anti-alcohol measures, and opportunity for healthy labor and occupation which will enable the man and woman to earn a good livelihood without being deprived of sufficient rest and recreation. Child labor must be done away with if we wish to do away with tuberculosis. All this should be done by an enlightened nation, state, or community, but surely it may only be done by a prosperous one.

And now we may well ask, who is to enlighten the people of the countries of our Allies and those of the Central Powers where general hygiene and the knowledge of the prevention of tuberculosis have been heretofore confined to the few among the wealthy classes and perhaps to the medical profession alone? Who is to help the communities which have faced starvation, misery, and poverty for wellnigh five years to become prosperous once more? This work must devolve upon us, the most favored of all the belligerent countries, the one which has suffered least from the great white plague during the war and which, in spite of all the great financial sacrifices made, is still the most prosperous and best able of all the civilized nations to help the countries now

so sadly afflicted with the great white plague, to obtain food, shelter, and clothing, to enter again upon the pursuits of health and happiness. Regarding the enlightenment of these nations on the subject of the prevention of tuberculosis, I wish to say, not in the spirit of boastfulness but rather in humility and gratitude, that our country is to-day, thanks to the philanthropy of generous-hearted citizens, to wise statesmanship, and the devotion of many public-spirited men and women, best able to enlighten and instruct in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis which is now the curse of so many nations as a sequel of this world-war. Thousands of the noblest of our sons have made the supreme sacrifice that others might be happy and free. They are calling to us now to do our duty here and everywhere where there is misery, suffering and want. We must help our own afflicted as well as the tuberculous of all nations, and those of us who can not render personal service but are able to help financially in the solution of this grave world problem, can best do so by supporting the work of the local, national and international Red Cross societies.

Never in the history of the world has there been such an opportunity to show the greatness of our nation in heart, mind, intellect, and willingness to help our afflicted brethren and sisters throughout the world. To the oftenquoted biblical question concerning our responsibility toward our fellowman, there can be but one answer from the true American, namely, "Yes, I will lend him a willing hand, teach him what I know, and give what I can, for verily I am my brother's keeper."

The recent action of the New York City Department of Health, approved by the Mayor and city administration, in proposing the abandonment of Sea View Hospital for the tuberculous and the use of this magnificent institution for drug addicts raises, several questions in the minds of thoughtful tuberculosis workers that have a general application.

The Department of Health has been conducting a vigorous campaign in an endeavor to protect the users of drugs and to minimize the spread of that evil. Sea View Hospital, built at a cost of between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000 and equipped to care for 784 early, moderately advanced and advanced cases, is to be closed in whole or in part and its buildings used for the housing of drug addicts. The obvious inference, as clearly expressed by the Commissioner of the Commissioner of Health, is that there are not enough tuberculous patients in New York to fill the beds of Sea View Hospital.

New York City owns and controls beds

Since this editorial was written it has been decided not to use Sea View for drug addicts on account of the opposition of nearby residents on Staten Island. The editorial is pertinent, nevertheless, as indicating what seems to be an undesirable tendency. THE EDITOR.

for the tuberculous in institutions within the city limits and immediately outside aggregating approximately 5,000. The annual number of deaths from tuberculosis in New York is between 8,000 and 10,000. The number of known tuberculosis cases has at certain times reached as high as 40,000. Based upon the experience of the Framingham Demonstration, however, the number of known active cases in Greater New York would range anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 and the number of non-carrier, closed or arrested cases would equal another 100,000. It is not expected nor would it be necessary that the city provide immediately hospital accommodations for all of this vast number. On the other hand, it is highly deplorable that the leading city in America, if not the leading city in the world, should, through its Health Commissioner and city administration, deliberately cut off nearly 800 beds or from 15% to 20% of its total when the entire provision is wofully inadequate.

The fact that Sea View Hospital and some of the city and other tuberculosis. institutions are not fully occupied is no