Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-12
ALL PHYSICIANS .
HEALTH GUARDS
UNDER new PLAN

| NEW YORK, y. Y. Dec. DIR.
| Harvey Adams Moore Of indianapolis,
who has been here attending the
| meeting of clinical surgeons in this
! city. explained to a reporter Of The
| World a propaganda undertaken by
| the physicians OF Indiana for social
betterment by means OF medical and
surgical regulation. The movement
| has advanced so far that attorneys
skilled in constitutional law have
been retained to frame measure for
| the next legislature. 1t will be de-
| signed to place all the families in the
state under intimate hygienic control
The project is broad and the drastic
nature OF some Of its provisions is
expected to arouse much opposition
But those behind it count on ultimate
! success because they believe the time
is past for trifling with conditions
! that menace the general health, and
they fell confident that public opinion
will support laws vitality affecting the
common welfare.
Under the scheme every physician
will become a health officer, respon-
sible to the authorities for the clean
| illness OF his district. Old ideas OF
prudishness will be put aside, and
school children will be instructed as
/ TO things they should avoid to pre-
serve mental and moral health. Mar
rage of persons unsuited for that re-
lation will be. prevented, to the end
that the progeny of those who do
marry may escape hereditary faint
and thus promote communal and indi-
Ividual efficiency.
Dr. Moore has prepared an article
on this subject to be printed in the
! indianapolis Medical Journal He
treats it as an educational problem,
which was first propounded by Ed
ward Seguin soon after the French
Revolution, and was afterward cham
pioned by Lombroso dean of criminal
anthropology, by de Viovanni, the
medical anthropologist, and by Sergi,
the pedagogical anthropologist. After
/ these men had been neglected for
many years Maria Montessori proved
the efficacy of the theory, and the
world is taking them up anew.
Success depends wholly upon the
| cooperation of the medical profess
sion" Dr. Moore says. Educational
methods deal with every child after
lit is born and apply the Child's energy
to it's best advantage. The medical
profession must consider the child be-
i fore it is born; 1t must determine
when and by whom children shall be
born In order that the educational
system shalt have fair opportunity
4 the medical profession must watch
every child that is permitted to be
born, determining the causes Of its
every act, remedying its deficiencies
and developing its possibilities - -.
''The war against social disease.
especially insanity, pauperism and
crime, has been carried on in the past
upon a spectacular basis, with sensa-
tionalism as result. The time worn
vice crusade, the religious revival,
the oStrich-like sticking of the public
head into the sand of ignorance,
must be eliminated 1t is to be a
campaign of sanity, to be carried on
in a careful manner. There is no sen,
sationalism in it's purpose and there
can be none in it's results"
While the normal child is developed
in all it's energies, DR.. Moore says
the plan will be to segregate the
abnormal, SO that its power for harm
to the community is minimiZed. Mar
riage will be made public institution
I in charge of medical officers. There
will be no pursuit of the liquor dealer
but consumers of alcohol will be
classified and treated accordingly
Thus responsibility for the entire so
cfal welfare is placed by express law
upon the medical profession.
In brief, the plan seems to me to
place the medical profession" DR.
Moore concludes, ION the highest
plape 1t has ever occupied. and to
bring it nearer to the ideals Of its
founder than it has ever been. 1t is
a move toward the brotherhood OF
man. While it smacks OF paternalisnl
or socialism it must tend toward a
vast increase in individual liberty The
greatest giving of personal liberty is
i'll the giving of individual ability, and
the whole spirit of the new movement
is TO increase tho efficiency Of man.