Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-18
Inconsistencies Of the AGE.

Gle of wealthy faddists spending tim,
deavor to invegle the struggling poo
into spending driblets in philanthropy
Another is the demonstra ton which
we have in the federal government
which is able TO support a s20,000,00'
Department of Agriculture and to is.
sue Farmers Bulletins in editions OF
millions. while the same department is
entirely too poor TO issue the valuable
public health bulletins Of the public
health service in editions of more than
a few thousands
In Maine we see similar state of
affairs, where the administration is
spending thousands of dollars in So
called investigation of the States de-
partments and institutions for the
palpable purpose of political campaign
material solely. At the same time, the
State is too poor to circulate, as should
be done, the valuable health bulletins
which are prepared by the State Board
of Health and should be widely and
freely distributed Again it is grudg-
ingly. in many cases, that the news
papers help to circulate the infornla-
ton which is collected and prepared
by men of medical skill and expert
ence; yet, at the same time. the same
newspap ers are ready 10 publish col
umns Of nonsensica1 catch phrases and
sentimental fiction, for the sake of in
teresting the general public in the
buying of few hundred dollars worth
Of philanthropy in the way of pushing
a crusade against one form of disease.
Dealing with the subject of govern
ment aid for cattle, while ignoring hui
man beings, the Journal of the Ameri-
can Medical Association publishes an
interesting editorial. in which it SAYS:
The National government cannot af-
ford 10 give the health of its citizens
the attention that il gives to livestock
Most of us cannot help feeling more
interest in the health and welfare Of
human beings than in thai of cattle
and hogs. This, we adnlisis unstates-
manlike Yet. after all, y not a hui
man being-even a child-worth some
thing? Not so much as an Attorney
COW, of course but still something
enough to justify the expenditure of a
few cents, to save the life of the child.
where dollars are spent to save the life
Of the cow"
The article goes on by offering a
plan for utilizing some OF the agricul-
tural publications in the prevention OF
disease among human beings. and adds
that the expense of paper and type
setting would be small, while the in
terests OF livestock would not be
jeopardized. II is explained that a
Farmers Bulletin on tuberculosis in
farm animals begins with a section on
the nature of disease, informing the
idIilGI THAT luDtlGuiOSIS Is tVIldBtOuSt
that ii may not attract much notice
from the owner of the cattle, as the
disease is slow to develop and the cow
may be affected several months before
discovery Here the editor of the
medical journal suggests that it would
be well to insert Tin brackets so that
attention would not be too seriously
diverted from the cattle) the words
father or mother of the children" at
ter "owner of the cattle" and the word
child" after cow Nc suggestions
are offered as to the chapter on i'm
portance. allowing it to go as clearly
stated, that the Importance of the dis
ease must be estimated from two
points Of view: first, the loss it entails
on the cattle owner, and second the
danger TO human beings The edi-
torial continues:
The chapter on Symptoms" is fair
~ satisfactory; careful perusal of
this chapter might enable a mother TO
suspect that her child was not suffer-
ing from a common bad cough" (iust
as it helps the cattle-o owner to see
that something unusual il wrong with
his cow and that it was time TO con-
suit a physician. We must admit
that the section Post Mortem Ap-
pearaHces' might not be of directly
practical value; still it's persual might
possibly convince a person with lean
ings toward Eddyism that it would be
little hard TO viii away 'tuberculous
Jumps" The chapter On THE Tuber
Gle Bacillus' would be very useful, for
here we would find practical state
ments. such as that the bacillus car
live for a long time in favorable sur
roundings, such as dark or dirt,
stables [rooms1." Similarly the chap
ter on How the Disease Spreads
would be decidedly practical: "Soone
or later the tubereulous COW Gperson
begins to give off the germs of TIT
disease; they escape from the Gov
human beingI by the mouth. nose
etc; germs are cOughed up ant