The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-09-16


from the use Of infected 9ater az in
the epidemic now 81 scfanien e
Frequently NJ the mil sctneiime On
lie haIdsi eopstpg utensils 81 too1l
"a mail owns and coantry itflcts
typhoid teFer Is ts ficd
the ordinary otlse ny il Nas #
chicaniaaga and the other military
camps during the war With Spain: In.
short, during this one year, you had
Iss,750 deaths from preyentable dis,
leases. Now State has no more val.
liable asset than that represented in
Its healthy population. According to
the political economist, to say moth.
ing Of the cost OF caring Tor the sick
who recovered from these diseases,
this represents a distinct loss TO your
people each year Of sssT5O0oO.
Your profession has tried for years
Ito secure the Legislation which would
prevent these diseases, but the aver
r.. , ~ = & =
age legislator honestly believed that
.they sought 1t for their own benefit,
not stopping to consider that in so far
as doctors prevent sickness they di.
minfsh their own income. In fact 1t
has often seemed to me that we have
been misunderstood largely because
the work is so purely altruistic. 1t is
not remembered to their credit that
they doimore real christian charity ey-
cry day and every year than all of the
other people put together. over a
third of your people never paid a doc
tors bill in, their lives, and never in.
tend to, and yet not oneof them ever
suffers from the want Of attention,
either city, town or country districts.
All other citizens may profit by In.
ventlon, but If a doctor makes a dis.
covery he Is forced by his VOWS to give
humanity the benefit Of It without
price. In spite Of all this doctors are
misunderstood because away back in
the dim past our forbears spoke un-
kindly about each other The clergy
and all Of the other segregated call
ings did the same thing and have been
forgiven, but it is still held against
us.
The legal profession is the only one
which has always been harmonious.
This is solely due to the fact that law,
4 yers live in the aggregate and work in
constant elbow touch with each otn.
er, but 1t has been great benefit to
.both them and the people. Had we
been equally wise and united always
health and medical boards would have
been as much part of the warp and
wool of our government as the courts
are. They ought to have been. They
are more important, Just in proper
ton as health and life are more i'm.
portant, than mere property inter.
ests. A great central health depart
ment at Washington, with a represen
tative in the Cabinet, and all of the
facilities for continuous scientific re,
search is just as important as the su'
preme Court of the United States
great as is the the need of that tr!
bunal. A State board Of health. with
its members so supported that they
can devote their entire time to their
duties, is Just as important in this
State as your Appellate court. A board
OF health in every city and county
with an effective corps of officers and
inspectors devoting their entire time
to their duties, in the schools daily
at the dairles and abatoirs, supervising
every possible source Of disease AMI
danger to your people, with well equip
ped laboratories, are indispensable in
the light Of present knowledge, and
are constantly becoming more so IN
the growing complex problems Incl
dent to the rapid growth ofurban pop
ulation. And 1t will pay To no these
things, for the greatest tax upon tho
people of your State to-day is not that
paid into the city, county aud stare
treasury, but is that expended for un
necessary sickness and for funerals
which ought not to occur.
To meet conditions so grave, WOW
en- into our laws and, what is far more
important, into the habits Of tnougd'
and life Of the people, is no ordinary
problem. Legislation, however, com
| plete, unless supported by an educat
ed profession and public sentiment
would have only an educational
value. Our plans are being laid along
the broadest line for creating and fos
terfng this sentiment, through the 3,
| 470 county societies, with over 10000
members, In every State and section
Through well planned post-gradp
ate or University Extension Course
with weekly or semi-weekly meetings
outlined and furnished gratultously by
the Association, with ample reward
to those who complete the four years
course, 1t Is proposed to so stimulate