The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-23

lefeSLS. since this has been so in- sisted upon by political economists, an increasing number of our more thoughtful public men are coming to realize, as Gladstone, Disraeli, Bis marck, Gambetta and other real states men in the older countries did long ago, that a health department at Washington, with laboratories and re- search workers in proportion to our power and wealth and the vast inter- ests involved, as would investigate the causes of the common diseases not yet understood, to gather, tabu- late and make public the facts in re- gard to every case of sickness and death which occurs in every county and state, with prevention as the only object, is as much a necessity, if our people are to have the benefactions of modern science utilized daily for the protection of their homes and families, as is the supreme court of the United States. This is done in other well-governed countries, as it is re- gardless of expense for domestic ami mals, crops, trees and similar inter- ests with use, and the time has come for voters to quit sending men to congress, legislatures, or other posi- tions, who have not sense to appre- ciate the value of the health and lives of human beings.
 
 health, with ample funds and labora- tories, and with members so compen- sated that they can give their full time to this life-saving work, is as important as the appellate court could possibly be. And, still more important, a board of health for each city and county, or for the two com- bined, with frequent inspections of schools, dairies, abattoirs, bakeries, a craze and garbage systems, and with laboratories to which any citizen may bring water, food, drugs, disease pro- ducts, or anything else suspected as 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 not worth while to try to do these things without health officer with special training and ap- titude for his work, and such salary that he can devote his entire time to it; for no man can be the kind of health officer here described and practice medicine. The positions are so incompatible that it would be just as reasonable to expect lawyer to act as judge and support his family by the practice of law at the same time. It would be the best of invest ments to provide such comprehensive health systems everywhere, as sub- stitutes for the political make-shifts so generally in vogue, because the greatest annual tax upon our people is not that paid into municipal, coun- ty, state and national treasuries, but the long unrecognized tax for prevent able sickness and funerals.
 With such aims and possibilities before it, fully realizing the magni- tude of the reform, the obstacles, and the self-sacrifcing labor required to carry it on, the American Medical as- sociation with branches reaching into every state and county, and about S0,OOO members, joining hands with all others, individual or organized, who will take part in it, has entered upon a broad campaign of education which it is hoped will ultimately reach every home in this land In the very nature of it, medical men must lead this movement in most communities, and to better qualify them to do this, 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 within the reach of the profession of every county without cost. Thus, in time it is proposed that an up-to-date doctor will be placed within reach of every family now without one and at the same time leaders for this reform he developed or encouraged.