New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-10
4 MIGHTY PROBLEM.
Little Being Done to SoIUe Nustery
of Disease.
By DIR. A. +. Wright.

VI all the evils which befaH in his civilized
state the evil of disease IS incoparaby the great
est. 1t ought. accordingly to loom largest IN biz
mind In comparison with the chance Of winning
directive control this evil every other thing
ought to be counted as loss. The cutting Of Of a
day from the Atlantic passage the supersesston
of submarine cables by wireless teIegraphy the
acceleration Of trains and motorcars and objects
OF this order Of Importance occupy the attention
Of man All these ought to be TO civilized man,
in comparison with any advance in the exploration
OF disease. the small dust of the balances
altogether vanity.
II the belief is nurtured that the medical art OF
to-day can efectuaIly intervene in the course OK
disease, this ought to be dismissed Illusion Put
ting out Of considera ton the case Of one or two
ineffective diseases which can 10 some extent be
controlled by remedies placed in hands by
chance and. further. the Of diphtheria-a dis
ease for which effective remedy has been fur
nished by medical research-tt may affirmed with
confidence OF the medical art, present prac-
tised. that it do practically nothing to avert
death from vrulent bacterial invasion or to bring
about
The thoughtful and conscientious physician has
absolutely no Illusions on this subject Confront
conceal from himself from others that he is quite
in the dark and that ne cannot foresee or deter
mine the issue Of the conflict which is n progress
in the organism That conflict will eliminate. as
the may be. in the recovery or death OF the
patient. Fully cognizent OF the limits OF his
knowledge conscious also OF the risks of ignorant
intervention. the thoughtful physician dismisses
from his mind all idea of active Intervention be-
tween the organism and the invading germs OF
disease. He contents himself with laying aside
the drugs, which he feels 10 be useless, and with
looking after the feeding of his patient.
"brainy American physician told me the
other day that # the opinion Of his profession
in his country. with respect that Christian Sci
which is the negation OF the medical art.
that if only the Christian Scientist had little
science. or the physician little Christianity, it
would hardly matter in serious Illness which OF
the two was called IN. provided that the patient
had very good nurse. II IS many word
that Is spoken in Jest
If turn from bacterial infections to diseases
produced by disorders Of the chemical machinery
of the body are again confronted by the i'm
said that have any real knowledge of the NOR
bid chemical processes which are associated with
govt diabetes Bright's disease
If the conclusion ts thus forced upon that tbs
medical Of to-day cannot cope efectualiy with
disease. let turn and consider far the prob
lem Of disease be solved by the resources Of
sanitation meaning thereby all those measures OF
disinfectton. isolation and conservancy which
adopted for killing OF the Of disease outside
the organism or. as the case may be, for holding
these of from contact with the healthy
The modern world prides itself all ttess nneas-
ures. That pride furnishes object for consid.
Grafton.
Conservancy must be credited with having light
ened the burden Of disease in the respect that &c
has in the towns where It is applied diminished
the incidence Of typhoid fever II has further
practically ersdicated dysentery It Is doubtful.
whether much more can be claimed for II. The
claim OF disinfection and isolation have drntn-
ished the spread OF infectious disease Is much
less clearly established 1t would that not
very much has been achieved by these measures
And it Is well TO bear in mind in this connection
that measures Of isolation, disinfection and
uation. severe beyond any measures that would be
endured by any European population have not,
in the of India, prevented the dissemination
Of plague all that continent. 1t IS also
be borne in mind that the programme OF isolation
and disinfecton is impracticaols in the case ot
such a widely dirused disease tuberculosis.
Above all. must Keep always before that
the sanitarfan Of to-day goes about his work
the idea that the world viii, by sanitation, DO
purged from the germs OF diseases IS a dream
That dream OF preventive medicine must not
hold back from seriously attacking the study ot
the processes Of disease in the human organism.
Is there. then. in midst any agency engaged
upon the study OF the problems OF disease? II
will perhaps suggest itself TO the man In the
that the whole medical profession is Just
such agency, and thar our hospitals ins-i-
buttons which The study Of the problems of dis
ease is actively carried on This is Tar from being
the case.
toner He has 10 go from house 10 house from
sicsbsd 70 sek1sd exploiting n in the diagnosis Of
he applies TO each case the accepted method
trimming. opportunity for research.
one would wish him to desist from the useful work
which lies ready his hand TO undertake research
The conditions. essentially the same
conditions present themselves in hospitals.
II IS not within the power OF the hospital pny
stefan, giving he does his services gratuitously
his hospital 10 devote to its service the whole
OF his working day. And even II ne had his
whole working day at disposal. melody would wish
the hospital physician or surgeon 10 give up 20
research the hours he gives 10 the general hos
pItaA work II did the whole hospital service
would come to a standstilL and the patients would
be deprived OF all treatment.
We are not. in fact. making any effort worthy
OF the name 20 solve the problems OF disease and
We have not any appreciable number OF workers
engaged upon the task OF medical research
IL would be well X Il were realized everywhers
throughout the civilized world that man and
woman ought to do something toward making pro-
vision against the day when they themselves and
those near and dear 70 them will be In the grto
OF disease. And In particular the careless rich
who nurture the comfortable faith that when dis
ease arrives DR. A. or B.. or C.. whom they know
or falling him. DR.. X. K. OF & in London OF
Paris Berlin. viii be ahle their diseases
ought To be disabused OF that belief II would On
well for them 10 realize that the wealth 20 which
ties OF the future will. when their dark hour ar
rives. be found tmpoteut TO purchase for them any
efecJual scientific aid against disease That SGT
enti1c knowledge which alone avail In the
conflict with disease is-practtcaIy all OF IT. stl
sesk-(The independent