The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-09-03

more, for the extermina 4, of tick
fever in cattle, cholera IS hogs ano'
chickens, scab in sheep, - S to crops
and trees, and for the otection OF
other interests having Q gnized COM
mercial values, while - IL of the his
tory of our governm 8 it has never
even seriously COM Z, ed the advls-
ability of protectin 8 en-, women and
children from the = ar more impor-
tant every day domestic pestilences.
Led by Gladstone and Disraelli in
England, and others of like promi-
nence on the continent of Europe,
under the pressure of the conditions
which must soon confront us, it was
long ago recognized as automatic and
crystallized into law and public policy,
THAT the care of the public health is
the first and most constant duty of
the statesman" There the pollution
of streams, bad conditions in tene-
ments and factories, child labor and
similar things injuriously affecting
health and life, have been considered
as far more important than any mere
party questions. In view of their
paramount Importance to the individu-
al, the family and the nation, why
are not the plain laws of health made
such practical part of every school
course that they would be incorpor-
ated into the thought and daily life
cf all the people? The abstract de-
sire to live is universal. Then why
not give every child such instruction,
physical and moral as we'll as mental,
as would show it how to live not
only long, but so well as to get all
of the good out of life for itself and
others.
AS the official representative of the
American Medical association, COM
posed of $4,000 physicians, who live
by the treatment CT the sick, l am
here to ask you, rurely in your own
interest, and in direct conflict with
every selfish interest of those for
whom l speak, to join in a compre-
hensive, far-reaching practical reform,
one of the greatest that has ever en-
gagged the attention of people, to
bring all of this about 1 am here to
proclaim the gospel of health, to tell
you that most sickness is unnecces-
sary, that most people die premature
ly, and to urge that with clean living,
moral as well as physical, personal
as well as domestic, local as well as
national, good health can and should
be made more contagious than disease.
Your health official and physicians
have told you these things repeatedly.
am going to tell you frankly why
they have failed to enlist popular sup
port, and will try to show that the
responsibility for this is about equally
divided between them and the people.
One of the cheif difficulties has
been that to laymen in all ages medi-
cine has been one of the occult
sciences. Doctors, their methods, in
fact everything concerning them, GER
tainly in recent years without inten.
ton, have been as something weird,
mysterious. almost supernatural. This
has brough so much disaster to man.
kind that the time has come for it to
end, and, with this in view, now in
tend to lift the veil and have you see
my brethern just as they are. In do
ing this faults will be frankly reveal
ed of which you have known little,
redeemed by charities and benefac-
tions so great and so universal as will
exc ito your wonder and challenge your
admiration. All of this will be done,
too, with a distinct purpose in view
which will appear as I proceed.
In order to show my fitness for this
task, it may be proper to say that
for 20 years l have been a member,
and for 25 years the executive officer
of the state board of health and medi-
cal examiner of Kentucky, for 20
years l have attended every session
of my legislature, looking after health
and medical interests, and for years
was member Of the national committee
charged with the same duties at Wash
ington. Once or twice almost every
day for five years have addressed
audiences upon this subject, laymen
discussing it freely after the conclu-
sion of my remarks. Going from state
to state, until I have now been in
nearly all of them, and in many of
them from county to county, talking
over these matters with doctors and
people in this heart to heart way,
have been able to make study of
the conditions affecting both, and OF
the impressions and possibilities of