Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-04-29
VOLUME xxx
Owens Bill

Editor Leader:The advocates of Senator
Owens bill, recently introduced in cOp-
gress, which creates a national health
board, are making use Of the argument
that such department is necessary, be-
cause 100000 persons die annually in the
United States, Of sO-called preventable
diseases
As matter of fact, no logic could be
weaker. In the first place, no definite
recommendations or suggestions are ad-
yanced, to show how the ready we'll or
ganized forces Of medicine, philanthropy
and charity, will be able to prevent this
loss of life by merely creating new de-
partmenJ of health. In the second place,
those who employ this argument seem to
forget that these 100000 deaths occur,
for the most part, under the best medical
and sanitary treatment that can be OBJ
taIned. Just how new health depart
ment OF the federal government could do
away with these fatalities is not made
clear, either by Senator Owen, or by
those who support his measure.
With the primary object Of this bill,
all good citizens must be in hearty ac
cord. To leDgthen the span of life, to
alleviate human suffering, to lessen the
liability to disease, are noble aims,
worthy of the greatest and most cOnse-
Grated endeaVOr. But, the question will
inevitably recur: How much can be ac-
c0mplished by new medical depart
ment Of the government, bigger, perhaps,
than any other health board, backed by
the power Of the federal government. but
worthless, nevertheless, in the accom-
plishment Of practical results.
Without in the least desiring to say
one word of disparagement of the army
OF devoted and selfless men and women
who are working for these very ideals,
it is entirety fair to call attention to the
failures of the medical theories with
which they are experimenting. Those
failures must be taken into cOnsidera
tiOn, not for the purpose of discouraging
continued efforts, but to prevent blind
reliance on systems which have not
made good"
Under the dominating administration
and practice OF the particular school OF
medicine which is known to be fostering
Senator Owens bill, diseases have null
tlplled In this country, and the span OF
adult life is said to have shortened.
According to medical authorities there
are twenty-f0ur hundred different medi
cal and surgical maladi es affecting man
hAho oo0oy' iOdIo dSO, III.
Rush, one Of the most prominent physi-
clans of his day and a signer of the
Declaration of Independence, said:
What mischiefs we have done, under
the belief of false facts and false theories
We have assisted in multiplying dis
eases; WE HAVE DONE MORE, WE HAVE
INCREASED THEIR MORTALITY"
We do not believe the country needs
any new health department of the feder-
al government. Such an organization
cannot be guaranteed to do more than
TO give employment to a few regular"
doctors, at the public expense. What is
needed is scientific and intelligent
discernment of the causes of disease,
and an application of rational cure, as
we'll as an improvement of the physical,
moral and mental conditions which
breed disease, All this could be accom-
plished without creating new and ex-
pensive cabinet office.
The national and interstate Quaran-
tine regulations may need Overhauling;
the improvement of conditions in the
congested districts of our great cities
would undoubtedly help to lessen our
national mortality; many other provis-
ions for preventing the spread OF disease
may we'll be worth investigation and
trial, but admitting all this, there still
remains no good reason for the depart
ment contemplated in Senator Ovens
bill. CITIZEN.