The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-09-04

try within the last FIVE years. and
that probably over 10000 are con-
~stantly sick Of it. They show a large
sick rate. with $4,000 death annual
lily from typhoid fever, and a large
disease and death rate from dipther-
ia, cholera infantum, d%ysentery,
scarlet fever, measles and other dis
eases preventable with present
knowledge, and urge that with prop
Ter governmental assistance this list
should be constantly extended. They
then state that within the last ten
years, through the United States de-
partment of agriculture, $40, 900, 900
have been expended. and it is now
proposed to appropriate s250,0O0,-
900 more, for the determination of
tick fever in cattle, cholera In hogs
and chickens. scab in sheep, pests to
crops and trees, and for the protec-
tion of other interests having recog-
nized commercial values, while in all
of the history Of u government. 1t
has wen seriously considered
the %advisability Of protecting men,
women and children from these far
more important every day domestic
Ipestilences.
"As the official, representative of
the American Medical association,
composed Of $4,000 physicians, who
live by the treatment Of the sick,
1 am here to ask you. purely@i in your
own interest, and in direct conflict
with every selfish interest of those
for whom I speak. to join In a COM
%prehenslve, f%ar-reaching practical re-
form, one of the greatest which has
ever engaged the attention of a peo-
lple, to bring all of this about. l
am here to proclaim the gospel of
health, to tell you that most sick
ness is unnecessary, that most peo-
lple die prematurely, and to urge that
with clean living. moral as we'll as
physical, personal as we'll as domes-
tic, local rs we'll as national, good
Health can and should be made more
contagious than disease. Your own
health official and physicians. have
told you these things repeatedly. 1
am going to tell you frankly why
they have failed to. ,aplist, popular
support. and will ~. e. show that
the responsibility for this Is about
equally divided between them and
1.-THE people. :
"One Of the chief difficulties has
been that to laymen in all ages medi-
Icine has been n Of the occult sci
%ences. Doctors, their, methods. in
fact everything concerning them. cer-
tainly In recent years without .intep,
ton, have been as something weird.
mysterious. almost supernatural.
This has brought so much disaster
Ito mankind that the time has come
or it to end, and, with this in view,
I now intend to lift the veil and have
Iyou see my brethren just .as they are.
In doing this faults will be frankly
revealed of which you have known
little. redeemed by charities and ben
Iefactions so great and so universal
as will excite your wonoer and chal-
lenge your admiration. All of this
Twill be done, too, with a distinct pur-
Ipose in view which will appear as
proceed.
"a few years g my profession
was aroused to the enormity of this
evil of dissolution among its mem
bers, to its baneful effects upon il
and the people, and we banded our.
selves together to exterminate it.
and probably never before in his
tory did a reform so sweep profes.
lsion, and today, regardless of schools
or pathies. it is rapidly becoming one
lof the most harmonious calljngs. Blu,
1.-THE evil had existed so long, and
had been made SO conspicuous. that
1t had ~engendered a public sentiment,
la habit of thought with the people,
which did not disappear with the
removal of the cause. and now, in
most sections of this country, almost
las much as a generation. ago, we face
this when we ask for authority anu
funds for our ~life-savlng work, from
the lowest fiscal court bodies to. that
at the national capital. The char.
ity and heroism of the profession in
Jail ages, and the fact that the three
noble mon Lazear, Reed and Carroll
who gave their lives to discover the
cause OF yellow fever, freed the south
from Its ravages, and made possible
the construction Of the Panama Ca.
nal. died unrewarded and now lie in
unmarked graves, a devotion and re.
suit which has many parallels in on,
history, has made little perceptible
lchange in this sentiment.
You will first be shown how thi.
feeling against doctors. has affected