Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-12
WORLDS DOCTORS
IN FINAL SESSION
Compulsory Insurance for
Workingmen Subject of
Warm Discussion.

LONDON, August 1.-THE closing day
of the International Medical Congress
saw all the sections in session
Leprosy" gave rise to an interesting
discussion in the ARCHAEOLOGICAL section.
Maj l.. X. Rost of the Indian medical
service said that after years Of expe-
rience he had reached the belief that the
disease in the great majority Of cases
was contracted through infected clothing.
He emphasized the Importance of segre-
cation and Of stcrili2ing all clothing worn
by lepers.
Climatic and Occupational Influence in
Diseases of the Ear was the subject Of a
paper b. DR.. Clarence Blake of Boston.
Mass. in the otology section. He re-
marked that miners were eSpec;aiiy prone
to ear diseases because of the dust ana
detonations in A circumscribed space
without the possibility of diffusion. In
the same way persons engaged in trades
productive of dust and CRIME were In
clned to be affected
Noise Most Injurious.
Noise is the most important and in
furious byproduct of industry he said,
yet it Is the last to receive attention.
arthur IL. lecturer On aura
surgery at Kings College Hospital. called
attention to the dea fness associated with
aeroplaning. and said much would be
heard on this subject in the future Three
factors. he said. were conducive TO this
form of occupatiOnal deafness = height,
speed and the noise of the motor.
The subject of compulsory insurance for
workinsmcn was warmly discussed by
the congress yesterday. Sir John Collie,
member of the advisory committee, told
nhSArrf 10 ,s1l,
provides protection for worllingmen
against sickness infirmity and old age.
The greatest trouble in administering the
new law seems to come from the inciina-
ton of many workers to sham sickness.
Some special precautions for the pre-
vention of this malingering probably will
be necessary declared Sir John. The
vast majority of those who sham illness
are persons of poor physique. especially
women. Thousands of the insured women
arc wholly unfit for work and will be
permanent beneficiaries of the sickness
benefit funds
AN infinitely larger class than the
out-and-out shammers consists of pa
tients of pessimistic temperament and
mental cOwardlce and the proper SUPER
vision of these on the part of the doctors
will save many millions to the nation
The question of malingering resolves it
self into battle in which the doctor will
generally triumph
"Heredity" Subject of Paper.
"Heredity' was the subject OF a paper
by Prof William Bateson. who was Silli-
man lecturer at Yale University in 1907,
and formerly professor OF biology at
Cambridge University. He thought too
much blame for the increase of Iunacy
had been attributed to the excessive
strain of the modern struggle for life
and TO the use of alcohol and drugs No
doubt, ha argued, there was some justifi-
cation foc this assumption but those ac-
quainted with genetic physiology know
that the real cause of the spread of
lunacy lay in the preservation of definite
strains in their midst. Great Britain's
new mental deficiency bill was a begin
ming of reform on the lines of heredity.
said the lecturer, but he added: Il should
be sorry to see adopted the violent
methods put to use in some parts of the
United States