Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-11-06

and lives of human beings.
For similar reasons q state board
Of health, with ample funds and lab
oratories, and with members 50 COM
r pensated that they can give their fun
time to this life-saving work, Is as
important as h appellate cour
could possibly be. And, still more
important. a board Of health for each
city and county, or for the " com
bined. with frequent inspections OF
schools, diaries, abattoirs, bakeries,
groceries. factories, tenements, sewer
age ana garbage systems, and with
laboratories 10 which any citizen may
bring water, food, drugs, disease pro-
duets. or anything else suspected MS
a danger TO his family, for analysis
without personal expense, Is Of as
much practical importance as any
court or other official agency could
be. And it Is o worth while to try
to do these things without q health
officer with special training and apti-
tude for his work, and such q salary
that he can devote hts entire time to
1t. for no man can be the kind Of
health officer here described and
practice medicine. The positions are
50 Incompatible that It would be just
rs reasonable TO expect a lawyer 10
act as judge and support his family
by the practice Of law at the same
time. II would be the best Of invest
ments TO provide such comprehensive
health systems everywhere. as sub
stitutes for the political make-shlfts
so generally IN vogue, because the
greatest annual tax upon our people
is not that paid into municipal.
county, state and national treasures,
but the long -unrecognized tax for
~preventable sickness and funerals.
With such aims and possibilities be-
fore II, fully realizing the magnitude
Of the reform, the obstacles. and the
self-sacrifiClng labor required to carry
II on, the American Medical associa-
ton with branches reaching into
every state ana county. and about So
600 members, joining hands with all
others, individual or organized, who
will take part In IL, has entered upon
n broad campaign OF education which
1t IN hoped viii ultimately reach every
home IN his land. In the very nature
OF it. medical men must lead this
movement in most communities, ana
TO better qualify them to do this, n
carefully planned postgraduate
course, adapted to the needs Of all
schools of practice, with weekly or
more frequent meetings, and attrac-
tive rewards for those who complete
the four years work., has been placed
VI AAt AhNIl aAiit lOltNNlpH VI
every county without cost. Thus, in
time II IL proposed that an mp to date
doctor win be placed within reach OF
every family now without one and at
the same time leaders for this re-
form be developed or encouraged.
In addition to its scientific work II
is proposed that each county society
shall hold joint meetings with teach
efs' Institutes, womenis clubs, editors, |
lawyers, ministers, druggists, busi-
ness. labor n other organizations, /
for discussion and instruction as to
matters OF mutual interest, Later,
through teachers and others, the ain
Will be to reach every school, child
and family with practical Information
as to the cause and prevention of sick
ness. In this plan, the physician is
also to be a moral as well as a phys
loal leader OF his people. setting an
example of clean, healthy living in his
person and home, urging the
same standard Of morality for men
and women, and securing the cooper
alton OF teachers, ministers and drug
gists in warning the people, the young
especially, or the dangers of immor-
ality. habit-producing liquors and
drugs, and al other things at enmity
with pure living.
As will be readily seen, this reform
involves just such a revolution in the
practice Of medicine as has gone on
so rapidly in the practice of law In re-
cent year. Lawyers were formerly
engaged almost engirely in conducting
litigation in the courts, Now, cor
p%orations ana wise business men ON
ploy them almost exclusively to keep
them out of the courts. So. IL Is only
u question OF time and popular intel
when a large per cent Of my
profession viii be acting mainly as
medical advisers for families, to keep
them wen, instead Of the more diff
cult and expensive task OF treating
them when sick, An sickness cannot
be prevented with present knowledge,
most OF The common diseases
which are destructive to health and
life i'm children and young people can,
and with proper aid from govern
laboratory and research work.
ers, this list should be constantly ex-
Do not get the idea that IL viii be
easy to do all this, or that there ~
much real popular Interest on the sub
iect az present. The newspapers are
the best opponents of public senti-
ment, and are most friendly to this
movement, and so long as they give
or three pages "a day to the races,
foot aud baseball and the brutalities
OF pugilism, and a fourth of a column
a week To health news, We may be
that there Is little demand for
the lattor. The enlistment of pOlit-
lcal economists and teachers In the
movement was the first real o .
Agement. The insertion of planks In
the platforms of both political parties |
faVoring a national health policy, and
the campaign of education against
tuberculosis, give promise of good If
supported by systematic, wisely led
lay organization In every section OF
the country, such as the American
league is fostering.
Whether IL viii be necessary for
physicians to so into public life in the
interests OF these reforms, as they
forced TO do in Europe. is a Ques-
ton Tor the future. For "a century
our legislative bodies. state and ma
tlonaL were dominated by high class
Better opportunities are
open 70 this class and such posi-
are sought by a lower grade OF
and others. who make a busi-
ness Of politics, With this change,
have come. The problems be-
this country were never before
so complex or difficult. and. instead
ot being legal and for the lawyer
are mainly economic. with social
moral elements, which, require a
official class FOR the solution.
Broadly trained business and literary
mon. teachers and industrial leaders
should certainly be selected IN such
numbers that their voices n votes
would be effective. There Is a doctor
close touch with almost every voter
In This country and IL MAY be better