The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-12

posed on you as q body of representative
medical men to preserve and perpetuate
the deeds OF our departed great men be
6ttingly and fully discharged | urge that
this sacred task be no longer delayed.
Those who are not proud of their an
cestry will never do any thing to make
their descendants proud of them.
The papers written by the men to whom
+ refer are scattered through old society
transactions and forgotten medical jour
nails. and in some instances, it seems
NEWSPAPERS Even the fact of the death
OF some of the most distinguished among
them has escaped mention by the COM
mitee on neurology. We of the younger
generation are reaping the fruits of their
labors. Can we do less than preserve their
memories in Il history Of this society and
its great men!
| see before me men grown gray in their
great calling, men who have done deeds
worthy of heroes. not only upon the bat
tlefcId and amid pestilence, at the bed
side. but in recording their experience in
many well written papers. Soon these,
too. will pass away and with them much
of the recollection of the grand achieve
ments OF our dead brethren.
To do well this work will require great
labor, time and pains; but | am sure we
have men competent to do the required
work we'll and who will make this la
Dor of love- Let us at the least gather to-
gether all the records we have and pre-
serve them in some less perishable form
than they now exist. There are | be-
Heve only two complete sets of our trans
actions now extant Not even in our State
Library can one be found.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
This great reform to which the late
DR.. Thomas f. Wood devoted so much Of
his time as we'll as his private means,
continues to advance. 1he yearly health
conferences have tendency to interest
the general public in a subject, winch
concerns them much more nearly that 1t
does us. 1t may be well questioned how
far we aS medical men are to go in pre-
venting disease from the treatment Of
which we gain our daily bread. The pub
lie takes our gratuitous labor as a matter
Of course while forgetting that we are
working for their good alone.
Already in Paris the revenue Of the pro-
fession have been materially lessened by
the improved sanitation brought about
by the physicians.
The public is scarcely interested in this
work for them and look on it as some fad
of the doctors whereby they receive the
profit and the glory. ! grant the glory,
but not the profit. Shall we continue this
labor received so ungratefully and apa-
thetically? Perhaps we owe society that
much and will continue as we have be-
gun. but there is a limit even to a doctors
temper and labor. The Board of Health
during the past year took new depart
ure which cannot fail to be of the great
est benefit if properly encouraged and
persisted in.
They have addressed themselves to the
study Of the defective classes Of the State.
There is no field of labor more worthy Of
attention from the physician and the
legislator.
North Carolina in 1890, with total
population OF ], 100000, had 1,725 insane,
3.617 fet,5le-mindeu. 1,107 deaf and
dumb and 1892 blind.
or habitual criminals in our State there
is no reliable record, but the number is
large. For the care of the insane the
yearly expenditure is nearly 1925, 600, not
including that spent by counties in poor
houses and jails. for the deaf and dumb
and blind nearly $4,000, while for the
care of the predetermined there is no APP
preparation whatever by the State, yet we
all know large sums are required for
their maintenance, constituting as they
do a serious drain upon our resources and
diminishing thereby the wealth Of the
community. 1t is possible that by proper
legislation and knowledge, insanity, idi-
ocy. deaf mutism and blindness may be
in some measure prevented, thus saving
untold suffering and much money.
1t is we'll known that alcoholism and the
use Of other narcotics by the parent is
a large factor in producing insanity and
idocy in the offspring. Perhaps four per
cent for each class arising from these
causes is not too high an estimate.
| have no statistics with reference to
the production of criminals from these
causes, but from my general knowledge
of the subject think the percentage as
high as in the cases before mentioned.
Much may be done by the Board on the
lines mapped out by them in regard to
this subject.
CONSANGUINEOUS AND OTHER
MARRIAGES.
The profession has discussed at one
time or other the results of consanguine-