The bold demand for absolute obedience thus authoritatively made by a professor at the head of biological research demands careful consideration. It is the announcement of a new priesthood or esoteric sect of physical science. In the mind of the speaker it means that his science is identical with truth. If that be admitted, it is the highest wisdom of the human being to obey gladly and unhesitatingly, and the teacher thus inspired with truth rightfully commands our grateful and profound reverence. But this claim may also mean the unconscious arrogance of a mind taking too narrow a view of science--a mind which, whilst earnest and laborious in investigating partial phenomena, is intoxicated by the discovery of new facts with the theories which can be built upon them, and at once announces himself as one of the priests of a new religion demanding absolute obedience; for the temptation of all priesthoods is to form an esoteric sect. In this second case it is the bounden duty of every truthful mind to refuse obedience. For until the claim is fully examined in all its aspects, in both its physical and mental relations, and sustained by the deliberate and hearty assent of all intelligent minds and the instinctive accord of the people generally, this demand for absolute obedience to the theories of so-called science must be resolutely withstood as a reintroduction of mischievous and degrading superstition. The special occasion which led to this unfortunate claim for dictation, or the compulsory regulation of disease by specialists, was the subject of tuberculosis and the exaggerated claim of the modern bacteriologist that the tubercle bacillus is the sole primary cause of consumption, with the logical claim that, as only the thoroughly-trained specialist can detect this bacillus, consumption should be scheduled as a contagious disease, and subjected to the rigorous regulations of the specialist and his board of advisers. As our largest item in annual mortality is death from tuberculosis--about 14 per cent. with us--and as food and air _may_ introduce a bacillus into the system, we can dimly imagine the extent to which the claim for dictation may grow in ‘accordance with logic.’ Many striking instances of crude official tyranny were revealed by our Canadian and other foreign delegates. Thus, railway passengers from Montreal to Ontario were compulsorily revaccinated on the train before being allowed to enter Ontario.[5] The foolish and fallacious system of attempting to _regulate_ special vice was seen to prevail largely in the inexperienced civilizations of Canada and Western United States.