The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-08-11
The Medical Profession tho Guar
dian of the Public Health.

pected 10 be lever foremost to perform
often gratuitiously, " the most unselfsh of
Christian duties to stand by tho bedside
Of infection, heightened by the privations
of poverty, without other fee or reward
than the grateful thanks of the locker OH,
or the blessings Of the dying man."
As a society we have more extended, if
not higher and nobler duties Here we
endeavor not merely to heal and restore
individuals, but, with our combined ener-
gies, to protect whole communities from
disease, to disarm pestilence of its powers
and to destroy the lurking seeds of decay
and death. -,"t, n,r - .-,f7 ..f NI.
Here opens o. vast, and hitherto, almost
uneultivatsd6eldi The Medical Profess
sion tie GuaTdtdn Of Pubic Hed7fh,
1t theme worthy of more gifted tongues
Of more influential pens, and of more COM
manding talents. ri 's1H OH f-.
Truly the medical profession are worthy
of all the high sncomiums which have been
passed upon them. For "who knows
half so much of the wants and wishes, of
the joys and the sorrows of the commu-
nity2 Who are the friends and comfort.
ers in adversely, especially Of persons in
every grade of life, from the highest to
the lowest, from the wealthisst, surround.
ed by all the luxuries of this world, to the
wretched outcast of the streets, houseless,
homeless, 'friendless, alonef Who, ever
since the revival of learning, have been
foremost in every undertaking whose OBJ
ject has been to extend the boundaries of
knowledge, and to exslt mankind? ? Well
might the great Roman orator, more than
two thousand years ago, exclaim, HON.
ines ad deos nntla Sc proprips accedunt
guam, sdlutem ho,oinibus dando" Well
may our own venerable Bishop say that
"a nobler class of men n /. never claim.
ed the admiration of mankind But how
digni6ed, how god.like does our profession
become, when, laying aside all selfish mo-
tives, all expectation Of personal gain, and
in fact incurring personal sacrifices, they
nnate their efforts to accomplish, for the
public, results not only highly beneficial,
useful and important, but otherwise utter
ly unattainable, since no other class of
men are found willing to undertake the
task. I.F
Nothing is SO intimately connected with
the happiness of a people as the degree of
their public health, and consequent upon
this the average of human life. Is it pos
sible for man to be at ease while living
where he knows that the deaths are so
frequent, that one twentieth part Of the
whole population must die annually, as in
New Orleans, when at the same time he
knows that in other places less than the
fiftieth part are swept away, as in Massa-
chusstts2 Can he be happy, although
himself well, if during each year every
fourth individual around him is prostrated
by disease, while in other regions less than
the twentieth part are annually sick ?
If Of an individual, long life is pre-
sumptive evidence Of happy life, OF life
exempt from care, sickness and infrmity ;
of a nation, it is conclusive proof of pros
perity and happiness, of energy and in.
dustry. Of experience and wisdom,
From the similarity of the human or
ganization, we might, perhaps, suppose
that all classes of men would live, on an
average, the same numyer Of years. But
the most cursory glance at facts show that
such is not the case that within certain
limits, the average Of life varies in differ
ent communities, as infinitely as their phys
ical, moral and social circumstances differ
Hence it is of the utmost Importance
that the laws which regulate and control
the lives and destinies of mankind sheuld
be fully discovered and widely published.
What circumstances are favorable to the
development and prolongation of the vital
energies of msp 2s What are the causes
of disease and death among us7 When,
where, in what form, and under what cir.
cumstances do sickness and mortality tax e
place 2--How do these differ in different
places, or in the same place in different
seasons and under different circumstances {?
1t is matter of great moment to the
whole population collectively that they
may take measures to remove the causes
Of death, aud to prevent the operation of
those agencies which engender disease.
To each individual thisis subject of the
greatest interest, that he may select his
place Of residence, or if that is fixed. thai
he may so control regulate, or guar
against the circumstances around him IS
to extinguish or ameliorate the existing
evils.