Glass R I
Science. 1986 Nov 21;234(4779):951-5. doi: 10.1126/science.3775371.
Epidemiology has evolved from its historic origins as the study of major epidemics and vital statistics to a contemporary focus on the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in humans. This evolution reflects changes in the patterns of diseases and deaths that have occurred in our time and has placed new emphasis on preventing avoidable, premature deaths. Advances in clinical medicine, laboratory science, statistical and data handling methods, and in our basic understanding of the pathogenesis of disease have enabled epidemiologists to better examine causes of disease and to propose more effective strategies for prevention and control.
流行病学已从其作为主要流行病和生命统计研究的历史起源，演变为当代对人类健康与疾病的分布及决定因素的研究重点。这一演变反映了我们这个时代疾病和死亡模式的变化，并重新强调预防可避免的过早死亡。临床医学、实验室科学、统计和数据处理方法以及我们对疾病发病机制的基本认识的进步，使流行病学家能够更好地研究疾病的原因，并提出更有效的预防和控制策略。
