The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-07-11
lend OF CERTAIN DISEASES.
London Physician is Prophet Of Good
Time to Come.


Treves is the prophet of good times to
come. The great surgeon who saved
the Kings life is an optimist indeed
1T is safe to prophesy," he says,
that the time will come when hos
pitfalls for infectious diseases will be
empty and not wanted. The fight of
the present day is against millions
of microbes, and the weapons are
sanitary regulations and municipal
government. Tubercule at this moment
is killing $4,000 people per annum,
not one of whom need die, for the
disease was preventable."
He looked forward to the time when
people would leave off the extraor-
binary habit Of taking medicine when,
they were sick, and he said he believed
that he could imagine the time when.
1t would be as anomalous for persons
to die Of scarlet fever, typhoid, chole-
"a, and diphtheria as it would be for
man to die Of VOLTS bite in eng
land"
Certain it is that the mystery If the
doctor is passing away. Nobody be-
lieves now that he whose prescriptions
are given with an air of infallibility
Is by any means the sage he used. to
be considered Where a hundrd pre-
scriptions were given twenty years
ago, good advice is offered now in
stead, and the method Of life, fresh air,
healthy environment, simple food and
plenty of sun, are the drugs which
the more eminent doctors prescribe
1t is a sign Of the times that the
British editors should have been re-
ceived as most important pensonages
at Berlin. Every day conVinces me
more that the coming autocrat is the
journalist. Kings may lay aside their
crowns, dictators may cease to arise,
but the journalist is the man who
moves the people, and consequently on
him rests a measure of responsibility
which probably was never his before.
1t remains to be seen how that power
is used, for the pen is scepter which
can create or destroy.
From town to town they proceeded,
and everything that banquet and en-
tertainment could celebrate in their
honor was spread before these modern
kings. German ministers were present
in force at the Chamber Of Commerce
and the Chancelor's garden party, and
the chambers Of legislature suspend
ed business in order to join the fes-
tivities of the hour. One of the lead
ting journalists who was Of the party
gave as his opinion that the most
striking impression received was the
! local patriotism of Germany.
Many years have passed since Flor
ence Nightingale startled England by
volunteering to nurse in the Crimean
war. Truly at that time she built bet
ter than she knew, for the quiet Wom=
an who went out to do her work
among the stricken soldiers on the
plains Of Sebastopol little realized
that she was laying the foundation of
work which would develop and form
the officials are keeping the mattrr
cficent Of the undertakings Of women.
Florence Nightingale was always
modestly content to keep in the back
ground, and indeed when she returned
from the wars, and her own, country
folk wanted to light bonfire in her
honor, she IS said to have gone a back
way home in disguise.
But men and women who have
wrought great things are never des-
tined to be forgotten, and the other
day when the international Red Cross
conference was held under the presi-
dency Of Lord Roberts in London, the
Queen who is. president Of the British
Red Cross Society, sent a message
In which she said: Il am sure all the
delegates will rejoice with me to know
shat there still lives among us the
pioneer Of the first Red Cross move
ment, Miss Florence Nightingale
whose heroic efforts on behalf Of sdf
fcring humanity will be recognized
and admired by all ages as long as the
world shall last"
Perhaps one Of the most interesting
features Of the conference was the pro-
pOSal to employ the international con
ference Of the Red Gross organiza-
ton in worldwide war against tu-
bcrCuloSis. The German delegates pro-
posed that the Red Cross Society, in
stead Of waiting for war, pesti1enee
earthquakes and floods, should devote
their machinery to u comprehensive
crusade against the white plague.