Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 123: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION a belief in only one ztiological cause of the pathology of lung inflam- mation. In point of fact the various antibiotics are now quite success- fully the treatment of choice of the various pneumonias—the very small percentage of deaths are due either to extreme age, hypostosis, or late treatment. A typical (primary) viral pneumonia is always amenable to either aureomycin or chloram- phenicol. And why, may I ask, when Wohler’s synthesis of urea, which dealt the death blow to the vitalistic theory of organic chemistry is men- tioned, as well as Schramm and Woodward’s synthesis of simple proteins, why is it that Emil Fischer’s monumental work in the amino acid analysis of protein is apparently ignored? And might I point out that though science fiction stories about androids may be enjoyable, I personally have strong doubts whether fifty or even five hundred years will be long enough to produce artificial life in the full sense of the word. But that is, of course, only an opinion. As a last item, to which you may or may not attach equal weight with the above, I have to administer a stern rebuke to our excellent Mr. Jackson who believes that Medicine will work itself out of existence, who , dreads that surgery will regrettably always find patients for its advanced skills, yet seems to ignore the in- eluctable scope of obstetrics. From C. V. Jackson, F.R.S.A.: In attempting to cover such a broad field on the small canvas offered by a short article there were omissions and generalisations of the type referred to by Dr. H. Since this set out to be a semi-prophetic article I attempted to mention the various important fields of Medi- cine in such a way that readers would realise just how much medicine has already accomplished in certain directions, and provoke them to a little quiet thought about what the next fifty years could well bring. Perhaps man will fall prone to even deadlier diseases than those we already know. Maybe as fast as medicine banishes one family of microbes there will arise newer, more virulent forms to say “Come on in, boys, the blood’s fine!” Perhaps nature will provide an answer to a grossly over-populated planet by scourging the Earth with serious famine and disease. Or perhaps Man will have finally conquered space and will be ready for mass migrations to other planets —who really knows? But there’s no harm in a little quiet prophecy of our own! 122 comcloooks.com