The Cairo bulletin., 1913-04-17
AFTER DISASTER
first ON HAND
ARE PHYSICIANS
Followed By Appeal for Food Sup
plies, Necessary Clothing
and Shelter.

Under the caption OF Doctors in
Times of PERL" the American Med
ieal Journal expresses editorially
the following opinion:
During the recent period of dis
aster and havoc ordinary events
were relegated to the back pages of
the newspapers. Every issue OF the
! dailies was full of heart-rending and
pathetic stories of disasters. storms
and floods. The people responded to
the call for help with the magnan-
unity and promptness which charac-
terizc the nation. From the scenes
of the disaster came the call for
food, clothing, and shelter. But be-
fore this there came call for ply
slcians to minister to the wounded,
the sick and the dying. From al
most every afflicted locality soon
came the same statement, "A spec
ial train carrying volunteer physi-
clans. nurses. dressings and medi-
cal supplies is on its way to the
scene of disaster"
$50 it is after every great calam
lily. The first men on the scene are
the physicians. performing their
sacred work of Saving life and re-
lieving the sufferings This hap
pens so constantly as to be an ac-
icepted occurrence No one ex-
presses any surprise On the con-
trary. SURPRISE wo Id be aroused
only IL the nearest available physi-
clans ever failed to respond in num-
bers equal to the need. Leaving
their own work, volunteering with
| out hesitation for the hardest SER
vice, they toll often for days and
nights without intermission, with
out asking for or expecting com
pensation. Instances are not hard
to find Following the recent
cyclone in Omaha, our correspou-
dent writes: Il have personal
knowledge of physicians whose
homes were destroyed, yet the mo-
uent they knew their families were
not injured they left them and
worked all night ministering to the
manned and dying" There never
has been a public calamity in which
the services of physicians were not
Instantly offered, without money
and without price.
"At such times what becomes Of
the innumerable sects and cults
which. under ordinary conditions.
are constantly trying to usurp the
place Of the scientific medical pro
| fession and undermine the con-
| tidence of the public? Apparently
they sink into obscurity and silence.
When the emergency arises, what
have they to offer? Suppose the
dispatch form Ohio last week had
read: "A special train containing
one hundred osteopaths is on the
way to Dayton. All of the sufferers
will be given spinal ADJUSTMENTS as
soon as the train arrives" Or 1T
is reported that two hundred people
are dead and thousands rendered
homeless and in danger of their
lives through exposure due to the
floods in Columbus A special train
containing one hundred chiroprac-
ties Is being sent to the scene at
cnee. Those suffering from injury |
and exposure will be given immed- !
late treatment for nerve lmpinge- !
ment. Or let us even suppose |
that those who disdain all material |
methods should emerge from their |
state OF self-absorbtion long enough |
10 do something practical: Sen
ator Works telegraphs that he has
arranged for special train. con-
tanning one hundred Christian
Science healers, to be sent to |
Omaha. This train has been given !
the right of way over all railroads. |
al persons injured In the cyclone
and the blizzard will be given men
tai treatment as soon as the train |
arrives. No such items have APP
reared in any of the newspapers |
They would be greeted with laugh !
ter from all over the country. The |
regularity common to all of the un-
scientific and irrational cults and
fads is that, in times of real peril |
and need, they have nothing 10 Of
fer. When lives are In danger and
when death rides on the wind and
waters, the people want the men
1T scientific training and experience,
Of cool Judgment and steady nerves.
who can carry to them all the aid
the human intellect in its centuries
Of struggle has been able to dis
cover. Fads and isms may be fol-
lowed by some of our people In
times OF peace and safety. but they