The Somerset reporter., 1901-07-18
Address of DIR. Robinson.

| Skowhegan, DR.. F. j. Robinson of Fair
field, president of the society, made a
brief address which was received with
favor and In compliance with an ex-
preston OF desire on the part Of men,
bers, we give 1t place In our columns.
The subject was, "The Prevention of
| Disease"
1.-THE history VI medicine shows that
until recent times the most destructive
diseases have been practically regarded
as quite beyond the power of man to
prevent. In the oscillations OF medical
opinion at the present time, the pen
dulum swings first in one direction and
then 10 the other, over the immutable
truths of physical, chemical and patho-
logical science, each day bringing us
nearer to just appreciation OF the
wonderful processes which give rise to
the various phenomena of health and
disease.
Now, the brilliant generalization of
some chemical philosophers at most lead
US to believe that the mysteries of vital
action are revealed through the labora-
| hOiiCs, as CtCu ny TIC niSiOSIOpC VIC
seem to be peering into the human lab
oratory itself, and reading as in an open
book, secrets which have been concealed
since the creation. But patient and
careful students follow up these revela-
lions and clearly show that so complex a
machine as the human body cannot be
regarded as piece of inanimate ma
terial. Meanwhile the sum of clear,
connected and practical knowledge Of
vital processes Is constantly and rapidly
increasing.
We have to only open our eyes to the
demonstration of these latter days to be
assured that immunity from some of the
most destructive diseases is within our
power; not perhaps within our individual
power, but that they are capable of con-
troll, limitation, extinction even by as
ISOLATED effort.
Such demonstrations as those to which
we have referred were not possible until
the system Of registration of population
and OF mortal diseases, and the establish
ment Of boards of health became a part
of the established law of civilized COM
munities. Political economists and
statesmen had seen the waste Of life and
phlanthropists had seen the suffering,
but in the absence of vital statistics no
one could prove what many intelligent
| minds perceived. At the present day we
stand face to face with facts Of the deep
est interest, showing the comparative
duration of life In different communities,
| the cause Of death, the influence Of sOilf
of climate, of race, of Inheritance, O.
occupation, of contagion and Of putrid,
ity. Hand in hand with these significant
, facts the .sciences advance. Unfort-
| nnatnlu fQrdU In
passing the registration laws, as our
, first report was made Ia 1892 and every
year since that time we have received a
very carefully prepared report.
With a moments reflection we must
admit that it Is the duty of every
physician to report as correctly as pos.
sible the cause or causes of every death
, also to report every case of disease &C
r. quested by law that comes under his
treatment. For without this careful and
faithful cooperation Of the physician II
is impossible for any state officer to
make correct reports. All physiciane
that have been in practice OF medicine
| for twenty years or more in Maine, we'll
know that since the establishment of the
State and local boards of health In 1885
the spread of contagious diseases has
been very largely reduced.
During the year of 1856 from March
I till December, treated fortyfour cases
! of diphtheria, while for the last twelve
, years have seen or have known Of but
few cases of scarlet fever or diphtheris
In our vicinity as quarantine has beer
practiced at the outbreak of such dis
eases, which certainly has checked the
spread OF these contagious and destruc.
, tive diseases, therefore 1t Is now con.
, ceded by the layman as well as the
| physician that strict quarantine is one
: of the most potent measures known for
the prevention of contagious diseases.
, There are certain dangers to which we
are exposed which a prudent head of q
, family may constantly bear in mind
, One of these, and one of the most i'm,
portant Is from insufficient ventilation.
| Every man, woman and child is entitled
to their full ration of fresh air, to that
amount which will both dilute and
quickly remove all which had been
spoiled by respiration and combustion
and by the mixture of dead organic
particles which the lungs and skin are
constantly throwing off. This organic
/ matter is our deadly foe, since it quickly
undergoes decomposition.
presume that every practitioner OF
medicine has frequently had this ex.
perience, namely; to enter a small sleep
ing room containing one or more sick
children who occupy the room both
day and night and the parents by night
with every window closed. In such
cases for my own comfort and safety as
well as that of my patient and the
family prescription No. is, open one
or more windows aud tell the people
they must have better air, while |
receive the same old reply they are
afraid of catching cold il they have the
windows OPEN
Such cases as the above are most fire.
quently found In small houses among
those In moderate and poor circum-
stances. While the above In regard to
small houses and poor people may be
true 1t does not prove that those in easy
circumstances always keep their houses
well ventilated, especially In the winter
season. With a moments reflection IL Is
plainly seen that the family doctor, as
he ls called from family to family has
greater opportunities than any one else
to instruct people how to prevent dis
ease, how to preserve health and how to
save life.
While pure air is very essential, pure
drinking water is equally essential for the
preservation OF health. IL people who
suffer from torpid liver, from constipa-
ton or kidney troubles would form the
habit of drinking two or three times as