The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-23

ries and many of them have crunbied ana Will continue to crumble. untD This has been realised. and today a great work is being done and many pnysiologicsi laboratories can only de- cated by some phenomeSa that has been observed, usually some departure from the normal observed by general
 What Is 1t that has hindered all sci- entinc advance in all ages, put every stumbling block In It's way from ridf- cule to crucihxion?-Superst It is this same superstition that has stood and Is still standing in the way of medical advancement. Not superstition on the part of the people but of the medical men. That Intense desire on the part of the human mind to account Tor all things by means of some vague supernatural cause-lIving in the con- stant expectation if not hope that that clips the wings of hope and chills the life blood in the heart of desire. Let the majority of the physicians come to the practising belief that there can De no cause without its effect and no enect without cause. and you will see scientific advancement in medicine, such as was given to surgery by the ties. This can be brought about in no way except by the doctors keeping up, not only with the advanced branches but the elementary branches of his
 Besides the henefcent effect of scien- tific advancement, would the people be benefited? Yes. Any advancement to-
 ward the scientific treatment or pre- vention of disease. after 1t has been should be given to the people that they may reap the benefit How Is 1t to- day7 At least one generation ot ohysi- clans must die out before the masses O4 the nAnnla reaAiVa anah hAnaff n often this is not sufficient but succeed ing generations must pass away before the long suffering public are allowed the. benefits of scientific discoveries made years before. If you do not be- iieve this. look around you and ob- serve. Antitoxln as specific for diph-
 theria. has now now been proven a number
 universally, and how many are there
 who do not use 1t at all7 Look again.
 into your Journal of largest circulation
 are recommended as specific for this along with his pedigree. and the lucra-
 tiveness of his practice. Vaccination Is lute. sclentifc--yet today the people of Alabama pay thousands of dollars each
 year for the care of smallpox patients. and ana vaesinssien v;sia. has , been known since look into these people who are not vaccinated in the great majority of in-
 stances we will find some doctor at the tious diseases and if the known meth
 ods for their prevention were prac- ticed they would practically. be wiped
 off the face of the earth In few
 known by the laity than any other of
 this class. yet why Is nothing mora done to check its spread7 I believe
 tire State who does not believe abso- lutely what some doctor says about
 disease. and If the people. of Alabama
 realized the importance of its preven-
 much as every doctor should, tubercu- | lar sanitarlums would be founded,
 anti-spitting laws not only passed but
 snforsedn fact s all nee nee | do the physicians act? With indiffer- ence that surely could be born of noth-
 Ing blt ignorance; true. some are ac-
 are nothing as compared with the great mass who seem to care nothing about I 1t. Suppose when physician when
 asked what he thought of the mos vers. that instead of scratching his head and saying that he did not take | much stock In these new fadS. said.
 fact. How long would 1t beiSefore all | of the people would know that the 1 mosquito was the means of spreading
 these diseases. Is It really that the | | cause they do not keep up with their | elementary branches sufficient to have | minds properly trained to accept these l adpan nces, and use them and preach | them as facts. It Is because they have | grown away from their ideal which | they possessed on leaving college They have only In less degree the be- | lief of the ancients. that smallpox is | the visitation of the iniquities of the l father unto the children of the thiro l and fourth RenHation. l dare say that 1 if you will hold conversation with any l physician he will denounce this. Bui | does ne practise what he breaches, and l if he really believed 1t he would. II | such were the case preventive medi' | cine would have an unheard-of boost
 This Is one of the effects of the sen
 eral practitioner keeping up with his I physiology.
 Another thing. there is nothing more important to the human race than the proper secretion of milk by the nurs' ! ing mother, yet today very little is
 known about normal lactation, or the
 means of normally modifying 1t. Yei | who is 1t that has the care of these l mothers and who is 1t that by proper | observation should work out this prob lem? Is 1t the laboratory manf No if is the general practitioner. If one tenth of the effort that has been ex. pended on the so-called modification oi | milk, had been exerted along norma | lines, much more good would have | been accomplished. many lives saved l and that moral debt which the profes | sion owes to the people, of overcoming | 4ha daaira nn he mart of the women no