The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-24

T. S. SETTLE
Southern Field Secretary of the Ma.
tional Playground and Recreation
association, who addressed the So
Geological Congress
the provision of adequate methods te
fight tuberculosis.
Discussion Follows
As each speaker presents his idea,
! upon the subject upon which he has
been selected to speak. Interesting points
We're brought out yesterday in the dis.
cussion following the papers One o.
the most interesting was brought ou
here when a request was made from
the floor that the chair explain some
of the causes of tuberculosis and tbs
best methods of handling it. Dr. Eayes
declared that poverty was the princi.
pie cause of tuberculosis and called or
DIR. Searcy to tell of curative measures
The superintendent OF the state insane
hospitals said that while In proportion
to the number were as many cases oi
tuberculosis in the hospitals as there
We're in the state at large, he had sue
ceeded in reducing the mortality tc
such a degree that mention was made
which was studying preventative meth
ods. DR.. Searcy prescribed outdoor life
and plenty of sunshine as a cure fol
the disease. And you don't have to &c
so far to get that sunshine, either, he
remarked.
DR.. Wyman was followed by DR.. Cabot
Lull, chair sof staff Anti-Tuberculosis
association of Jefferson county, whC
spoke on the district nurse. The trent
of modern medicine was to specialize
he said, and nurses and doctors should
seek out patients and instruct then
how to deal with disease. He named the
qualifications of the district nurse and
declared she was the need of the day
in abolishng disease and caring for dis
: eased persons. Several visiting nurse:
then spoke briefly of their experiences
Among them We're Miss Cora Sanford
and Miss Denny
Segregation Impossible
DR.. Robert Nelson was then intro
duced and spoke on compulsory segre
cation of tubercular patients He de-
clared that complete segregation was i'm.
possible at present owing to the fact
that to remove the head of the house
: compulsorily would be leaving mans
J family without breadwinner. He point
ed out that one of the most effective
methods of fighting tuberculosis was bS
means of education. Education, he said
was more effective than legislation and
must precede legislation. DR. Nelson
{ then explained the operation of the cit,
ordinance governing the segregation o
tubercular patients
He was followed by T. s. Settle south.
ern field secretary of the National Play.
ground and Recreation association, whe
spoke briefly of his pleasure in coming
to Birmingham. He will make this his
headquarters in the future. He said he
hoped that the name of the organization
ne represented would be changed to the
recreation Association of America
Mr. Settles main paper was postponed
until the evening session, he taking the
place of DR.. A. ]. McKelway who was
unable to be present. Immediately after
: Mr.. Settle spoke the congress adjourned
until o'clock.
| Institutional Relief
When the congress reconvened the sec
ton of institutional relief was taken III
with William McGrath in the chair He
introduced DR.. j. L. Searcy, superintend-
ent of the State Insane hospital who read
J an interesting paper on THE Sociology OF
, Insanity"
MANS psychic center is showing more
deficiency and effectiveness in the lines
of heredity than any other organ" de-
clared DR.. Searcy. Man now has to sue
ceed and excel by his mental oualifica-
ing and necessities of life are occasionine
more brain effort and more brain i'm
provement, 1t is true We are having
more social work, more moral sentiment
, more public opinion, more religious teach
T ing. more schooling for ALL a great dea
Is being done to improve brain abilities
, still. the fact remains that psychic def
ciencies and defects are growing more
! numerous. Something, in civilized coun-
. tries more than in others less civilized
is impairing the brains of men.
1--WE improve the specialties of our do
mestic animals by careful selection OF
those that shall carry their improved
qualities into the next generation. Moth
ing is done in human society to hereditar-
. lily maintain or improve mans speciality
The subject at last, though, is being So
ciologically agtated, to improve the 'eu-
/ genics' of men. Much instruction is need
ed on this important subject.
But there seems to be something in civ
. ilized communities causing the brains OF
the people to deteriorate and show def.
! ciencies and defects more than any other
! organs. We are particularly and pecu.
liarly impairing the psychic centers OF
men.
, 1--WE have in medicine a long list OF
much used drugs that have their partic.
ular effects by chemic action upon the
sensating and conscious structures of the
nervous system. The very fact that these
cells and fibers are sentient and sensi-
tive occurs, because the protoplasm ir
? their construction is more delicate thar
that of other parts. There are a num-
ber of agents which, If they are in the
blood as ii circulates all through the
body reaching all structures alike, be-
cause their chemic affinity finds more
ready and delicate material to act on in
the feeling nerve lines and cells affect
them and do not affect others. 1t is sin
, guar how small an amount. how weak
a solution of these drugs in the blood, has
effect on these most delicate structures
They are exceedingly sensitive to the
, chemic action of these agents.
"Among the most frequently used oi
: these agents are chloroform, ether. nj
,, trous-oxide or laughing gas. choral, some
, of the products from coal tar, the solu.
tions of opium. like paregoric and lauda.
mum and its alkaloids; morphine codeint
, and a1eroin; cocaine. the allSaloid from
: the coca leaves; hyoscin from hyoscia.
! linus, alcohol from fermenting material
: nicotine from tobacco, caffein from cola
nuts. tea and coffee. Exceedingly small
| quantities of these drugs. taken into the
circulation, have the property of actine
! on the delicate structures of the feeling
e portions of the nervous system. and OBJ
e funding their ability to feel They ars
{ administered in medicine for this purpose
S OF preventing the person from feeling
I his pain or discomfort
4 THE less toxic of these drugs, caf
. feline. nicotine and alcohol. have gotter
s entirely out of scientific hands. and arr
now generally, almost universally, uset
. as luxuries.
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