Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-05
HEALTH NEGLECT CRIMINAL
DR.. 1. M. Shaw Scores Congress in
Address,
BUT SOME LIGHT Is DAwNING
Physicians aud Surgeons Applaud
Their Leader nt Dinner Held Last
Evening", when Tie Pleads for
Needed LeEisIa ton.

three days meeting OF the Nebraska State
Medical association, which opened at the
Hotel Rome Tuesday afternoon.
DIR. L. NJ. Shaw of Osceola, president of
the state association, was the speaker Of
the evening. He declared the United States
government has been criminally negligent
In legislation to preserve the health Of its
people.
our life-saying stations that dot the
shores of our great lakes and ocean coast
lines are monuments to a governments
care for those who go down into the sea in
boats, but where are the life-saving sta
tons of our government for saving people
from the rocks. reefs and shoals OF i'll
health on the land? said DR.. Shaw, whose
address stirred physicians and surgeons Of
Nebraska. Continuing, the president said:
In my discourse this evening, 1 have not
thought II best to discuss any scientific
subject, but to give briefly a resume OF
the various movements which are today
creating so much interest both In the minds
of the profession and the public. Move
ments, which, through education, will bring
about not only prevention. relief and cure
or disease. but will serve to bring the pub
lie to recognize tho attitude of the medical
profession in its recommendations of sani-
tary legislation and medical practice acts.
Fer q National Health bureau.
That the government and people of the
iHltCu states are at last awakening to the
necessity of definite and comprehensive
health legislation is quite apparent, as wit
messed by the adoption Of a plank I'm the
platforms of the two great national political
parties endorsing the organization of all
existing national public health agencies into
a national bureau of health. With both OF
these political parties committed by their
platform declarations to advance sanitation,
there should be no difficulty In securing
a bill In congress in the near future to that
effect.
The nr,r,ittao 90 o,o k,,droa aor,po.oa
largely OF the political economists of our
great universities, tell us that in the last
five years 10000 people in the United
States have died of tuberculosis and $50, 90
more from typhoid fever. both preventable
diseases.
1t is a disgrace to our civilization that up
TO the present time our government has no
department of public health.
The Department of Agriculture at Wash
ington spends $4,000 annually on plant
and animal health in our country. but with
the exception OF that which II has spent
for the splendid work done by Drs. Wiley,
Atwater and Benedict, our government
docs not spend one cent directly for the
hSalth of our innocent babies. In the last
ten years this department has spent SAG, O0O,-
900, but not a single wheel Of official ac-
ton has turned to help the 6.0O0,0O0 of our
present population who will die of kidney
and heart disease or the $780, 600 who will
die from the white scourge.
While this movement does not mean an
independent health department with a
physician in the cabinet, II does mean q
bureau whose chief function will be TO
guard the health of the people, including
all it involves. Hence It will be a decided
advance and a step in the right direction.
The Emmanuel Movement,
Pschotherapy is the word adopted by
those who have developed this movement
lists, the new thought people, the faith
healers and the thousand and one other
schools. which have in common the disre-
gard of medical science and of all its ac-
cumulative knowledge In the ma ST
Psychoterapy is as old as, the beginning
or medicine. 1t began 20 be systematically
years ago with the Investigations OF Char
cot and his school. In America it has been
advanced by Drs. Wier Mitchell. Morton
Prince, James ]. Putnam and a few others.
Americans physicians, generally. have
fought shy of scientific psychoteraphy for
a long time. One of the most important
reasons Is the fact that Christian science
exists and we have watched the antics and
extravagances of Mrs. Eddy and her
schools with disgust, but without any con-
sistent attempt TO find out the truth behind
their fallacies and absurdities. That Eddy
ism contains some truth, no man will
deny. 1t was Thomas Carlyly, that rugged
old S~cotchman and original thinker who
said, and without being questioned, that,
No system Of philosophy, ism or patty
ever existed but that 1t had some truth
In IL or men would have not taken II up.
Aside from a few gifted men like DR.. wier
Mitchell the physicians OF this country
have practiced psychotheraphy without
any oN Sltlll VI HlluN. ~ n HOI unll the
translation of Prof. Dubois book in 1905.
that we became aware of scientific mind
cure.
we all practice psychotherapy In an am
ateur way. The simple giving of drugs in
certain instances without the kind assur-
ance OF the physician amounts to but lit
tie. The personality of the attendant, In
face, manner, words, action and tactful
sympathy must enter actually as factors
In the therapeutic role of every case. Few
persons afflicted with chronic diseases are
cured without strong confidence i'm the
ability, skill and knowledge of their physl-
clan and the realization of the special eff
forts made In their behalf after a thorough
examination. A physician Is weighed In the
balance as is no other man. Suggestion Is
y potent means of influencing the sick.
For them 1t Is constantly though inadVert-
entity utilized. There Is not a case which
will not be influenced for better or wors"
by the attitude, the cheering words and
the smile or the wrinkled brow or brusuue
manner of his physician. Legitimate use
ought to be made of such means--it is not
c~harlentanry. II concerns us In our daily
practice OF medicine and surgery and Is
a practical study. We need to search fur
Their In our ministratlon not simply for the
material, but for the mental and moral
cause OF disease. | believe there Is a great
deal to he gained by study and system in
these aids. Aids. the average physician
Ent h usiasts DO Harm.
However, I do not believe that psyche
therapy Is a c%ureall, and when practiced by
IN enthusiast is more or less dangerous,
TOT " is pound To ne applied To cases whore
an orgarAc disease Is overlooked. This criti-
cism applies with special force to devotees
or so-called religious cults and non-medical
philanthropists who cannot recognize it's
limitations. That Its field OF usefulness is
limited and II becoming more so has been
ro'ntcd out by DR.. Hutchinson. The
thoughtful and well trained physician is the
only one who can and will recognize these
limitations, | believe that psychology should
be taught In all our medical schools and
utilized where practical In sickness.
Several states have moved along the line
OF revision and change I'm their marriage
laws, such as recommended by Governor
Sheldon to our last legislature, making IL
necessary for every man and woman to
present a certificate from a licensed phvsi-
clan showing them to he capable of produc-
ing healthy offspring. This is a matter
which should receive the earnest considera-
ton OF the public and is a political matter
which should interest us and will p%erforcc
interest those who come after us. for the
tendency is, by promiscuOus marrying and
intermarrying toward a degeneraCy of our
race which In time must seriously affect
our state.
President shaw predicts that from COO to
100 members will attend the session. which
will offer during the sessions a series Of
addresses by members rarely equaled for
time.iness and Importance.
Some important affairs relative to the
national association and some Of the pub