Henry Gustav Beyer

“ Those who are in the habit of looking for principles in things with broad and generous minds, having taken the trouble to visit and study the exposition more conscientiously, were overwhelmed with its grandeur, its beauty and the nobility of the motives underlying the undertaking. ”

“ As a contribution to the methodology of disseminating such knowledge among the people in the most effectual manner, the hall of popular hygiene at Dresden stands preeminent in recent times. Structure and functions of the human body were never before presented in a more easily assimilable form. The conditions necessary for the preservation of health and for the prevention of disease were never before set forth in so easily intelligible a manner. ”

“ Passing the music stand and turning to the left, we have, on the left, an Abyssinian village; on the right several small and large restaurants and enter a large open space having on one side the large hall devoted to the hygiene of clothing and the general care of the body, on the other the hall exhibiting nutrition, dietetics and food stuffs, while facing us, in the distance, there is the large oval for sports with its stadium, music stand, grandstand, restaurant and sport laboratory, as well as the immense swimming tank called "Undosa." ”

“ The adult human body was, in its entirety and in parts, shown in the natural state, in the form of models, paintings, lumières and drawings, all displayed in the most artistic form and executed by artists of the first order, the high walls and high windows admitting a flood of light and rendering inspection thorough and easy. ”

“ Disciplined, orderly cooperation toward one common and useful end and purpose was never and nowhere shown to better advantage than in the work of organizing, creating and conducting to a successful termination this truly great exposition. ”

“ The exhibits, carefully selected and arranged in groups, represent the achievements of many years, the results of many years of study and labor, in a predigested form and ready to enter the understanding without requiring any effort on the part of the observer, except that he be in a receptive mood. There was a time when the attributes of usefulness on the part of the high arts and sciences were regarded as detracting from their value; when the beauty of an object was thought to end where its usefulness began ”

“ When we add to all this that daily demonstrations in every one of these groups were given by the most eminent men of science, engaged for the whole time of the exposition, it is easy to explain the ever-increasing number of visitors to this hall and the fact that, towards the last part of the exposition, the hall had to be opened at night on special admission tickets, sold, to satisfy this ever-increasing thirst for knowledge. ”

“ The object of this laboratory was to furnish material for the laying of a foundation for a scientific sport-physiology and sport-hygiene. From results already obtained in this laboratory, some of which I had an opportunity of examining, I am convinced of the fact that a beginning has at last been made for the scientific elaboration of the proper principles upon which alone the different forms of exercise may be made useful and beneficial, instead of hurtful and dangerous as most of them are now. German sport is intended to remain an amateur sport ”

“ Professionals who are in it for what they can get out of it are not to be called sportsmen; the German sportsman is to remain a gentleman, active without being greedy for gain. The pleasure in tournaments, a national characteristic, is not to be discouraged, but it is not to be regarded as the highest aim of sport. A sentiment for out-of-door sport is to reach the entire nation ”

“ Even if a common origin for all should finally be accepted, it will have to be admitted that the genus man has shared in the tendency of all life in general, namely, that of producing varieties, differing almost as widely from each other in their habits and productions as do the various organs in a single individual living animal organism in their functions. ”

“ The workingmen's insurance, instituted in 1885 by Emperor Wilhelm I., pursues the object of protecting the workingmen against the unavoidable dangers of their calling. Every working man and woman within the boundaries of Imperial Germany is, regardless of nationality, legally insured against disease, accident, invalidity and old age. The sums of money thus contributed to the various workingmen's societies reach the limits of the incomprehensible
Hall for the Hygiene of Transportation. ”

“ The visitor was thus prepared to pass into the section in which the common infectious diseases of man were shown, how they originate and how they are best prevented, at the same time exhibiting busts of the most noted men of science who have contributed most to our knowledge in this department of sanitation.
A most noteworthy feature also was the development, care and best mode of nutrition for nurslings; it was here shown that the care for the child must begin before birth and must extend to the mother. ”

“ Over one hundred microscopes, all in the most perfect working order, and under a splendid system of illumination, served to demonstrate monocellular organisms, mitotic cell-division, fertilization and embryonic development as well as the adult cellular structure of every organ in the human body.
The gradual development from a single cell of some of the lower animals as well as intra-uterine development of the human embryo was beautifully shown by a series of embryos rendered transparent by the method of Spalteholz. A splendid series of wax and plaster models in
Field Kitchen. ”

“ This "rue des nations" shows off well at night when illuminated. Passing out of the "rue des nations" and around the end of the botanical garden, we come in sight of the several large halls, housing life-saving devices, means for the care of the sick and injured, traffic on land and sea, appliances used in the care of prisoners and the insane, army, navy and colonial hygiene. A sylvan restaurant stands at all hours ready to administer to the physical need of the visitor. ”

“ We must, likewise, pass over the ethnological portions of the exhibition, although most interesting and highly instructive in showing the customs and habits of the different races peopling our globe and their common desire for a long, happy and healthy life. ”

“ In this swimming tank, artificial waves about three feet high are produced by mechanical means and the bather gets the benefit of an open air bathing resort nearer at home.
The sport laboratory is fitted out with all sorts of scientific instruments and apparatuses to investigate scientifically the effects of physical exercise on the human body, especially on heart and lungs. A gymnasium shows the usual development instruments well stocked with material. The great oval is for out-of-door meets and is almost daily in use. ”

“ Brazil.—Those unacquainted with the amount and high character of work done, in recent years, in Brazil, by the public health authorities there, were surprised to see the wonderful exhibits in the Brazilian pavilion and to witness the daily kinematographic demonstrations of the actual field work done in that country, to fight yellow fever and other infectious diseases. The sanitary service of Brazil seems to be well organized and the work is done by the most improved methods and with the use of modern instruments. ”

“ The subject of nutrition was given a prominent place. The more elementary chemical substances constituting the principal natural food products were shown in glass bottles and, further, shown by charts to which the percentage number of each elementary substance was attached, with the daily amounts of each required by man. Against a wall, there were arranged the quantities of water, salts, proteids, fats and carbo-hydrates which man consumed in a year and in the form of natural foodstuffs. ”

“ With the aid of 200 tables, charts and colored natural objects, the laws of heredity were demonstrated and it was shown how, through the continuity of germ plasm, in plants and animals, different characteristics are transmitted from one generation to another. ”

“ Another special room is devoted to showing the efforts of the physicians of those ancient times as being not alone those of restoring the sick to health, but also those of preventing the well from becoming sick. ”

“ A number of smaller buildings, devoted to various purposes, such as the care of the crippled, the housing of the poor, sylvan burial of the dead, the rearing of various species of rabbits for food purposes, a model stable for cows and clean milk production, form the outskirts of this part of the exhibition grounds. ”

“ This book possesses a value of its own, beyond its mere usefulness as a guide through the momentous group of exhibits.
Sport Division
The organization of the sport division of the International Hygiene Exposition, Dresden, 1911, marks an important epoch in the history of bodily exercises. A rigid classification of sports according to physiological principles has, for the first time, been rigidly carried out. The scientific committee is represented by such men as Professor Zuntz, Berlin, Professor Schmidt, Bonn, E. von Schenckendorff, Görlitz, and many other eminent and learned men. ”

“ To what an alarming extent organized disease producers had been at work thousands of years ago, on the Nile, is abundantly shown in a large collection of preparations of Egyptian origin in glass bottles. ”

“ Switzerland, has put up a building characteristic of the Bervese Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Hungary and Amsterdam all have erected pavilions in style of architecture exhibiting the national characteristics in their design. ”