The diary covers the period May 20-Oct. 15, 1917, and Jan. 5-May 6, 1918. It is complete; the gaps in chronology reflect the timing of those events and activities to which Talbot devoted his greatest professional attention.

His most important activities during the War consisted of attending meetings in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, working under the Council of National Defense (CND) to establish a Committee on Child Welfare (CCW) that would address the potential crisis in public health that could arise from the critical shortage of medical providers as a result of the enlistment of many doctors and nurses in the armed forces. As a pediatrician Talbot was acutely aware of the danger of epidemic disease, especially for infants and children. He describes his professional activities, including but not limited to the organization of the Committee on Child Welfare.