4 ms·

Let's not kid ourselves, this wasn't some poor sap working for the common good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Leal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L

by maratd 11y ago

Let's not kid ourselves, this wasn't some poor sap working for the common good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Leal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Leal He was professionally established in leadership positions, both in the private and public sector. This man did well for himself. And there are plenty of examples of men who are well off today and who do selfless things because they can afford to. There is nothing wrong with earning a living and even, gasp, turning a profit.

timr 11y ago
If, by "professionally established in leadership positions", you mean to refer to the fact that he had a medical degree, and had spent his prior career working on these problems, then yes, I agree. That's exactly my point. But nothing you've cited is evidence that the man was rich (or even attempting to profit) from his work for the public good.
- maratd 11y ago
  No, that is NOT what I mean. What I mean is that he: 1. Established his own medical practice in Paterson, New Jersey. 2. Was appointed City Physician. 3. Founded the outpatient clinic at Paterson General Hospital. 4. Became Health Inspector in Paterson. 5. Became Health Officer in Paterson. 6. Left the city's service and became the sanitary adviser to the East Jersey Water Company. 7. Became President of the Board of Health for Paterson. He was also a member of "a large number of professional associations". There is more in the wikipedia page, but I'm getting bored. He sounds like an awesome guy and certainly somebody who specialized in public health, but there isn't a shred of evidence that he wasn't a shrewd business man. On the contrary, everything points to him being just that. As far as him not capitalizing on his invention ... he didn't invent it, by his own admission. Also, let's not forget that he developed the delivery device in the employ of the water company. It's theirs, even if there is something to patent. If you work at Microsoft and develop a piece of software in the process of working for them, they own the fruits of your labor. That's not a foreign concept to that era.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]

by maratd 11y ago

timr 11y ago

If, by "professionally established in leadership positions", you mean to refer to the fact that he had a medical degree, and had spent his prior career working on these problems, then yes, I agree. That's exactly my point. But nothing you've cited is evidence that the man was rich (or even attempting to profit) from his work for the public good.

maratd 11y ago
No, that is NOT what I mean. What I mean is that he: 1. Established his own medical practice in Paterson, New Jersey. 2. Was appointed City Physician. 3. Founded the outpatient clinic at Paterson General Hospital. 4. Became Health Inspector in Paterson. 5. Became Health Officer in Paterson. 6. Left the city's service and became the sanitary adviser to the East Jersey Water Company. 7. Became President of the Board of Health for Paterson. He was also a member of "a large number of professional associations". There is more in the wikipedia page, but I'm getting bored. He sounds like an awesome guy and certainly somebody who specialized in public health, but there isn't a shred of evidence that he wasn't a shrewd business man. On the contrary, everything points to him being just that. As far as him not capitalizing on his invention ... he didn't invent it, by his own admission. Also, let's not forget that he developed the delivery device in the employ of the water company. It's theirs, even if there is something to patent. If you work at Microsoft and develop a piece of software in the process of working for them, they own the fruits of your labor. That's not a foreign concept to that era.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]