The Denver star., 1914-07-25
PREVENTION OF DISEASE.
Or. A. N. Brown Delivers Able Addrses
on Duty Of Physieians.

Or. A. N. Brown Delivers Abas Addreee
on Duty Of Physicians
Atlanta, Cain a recent address de-
livered In this city by Dr.. A. n. Brown.
NJ. D., of Birmingham. Ala. and presi-
dent Of the National Medical associa-
ton, on the Duties Of the Negro Ply
sician," DR.. Brown in part said:
No ono knows better the existing condf-
tions, the influences. the surroundings and
the environments of our race than the
physician who comes in daily contact with
his people No one appreciates the neces-
sity of improving these conditions. sur
70 well the Negro physician. No one
il moro desirous of changing. recttfyfng.
improving and ameliorating these vari-
Gus acts than the physician. and no one
knows better how to effect these changes
than the doctor, who not only Sees knows
and appreciates. but who also feels keen
ly the handicap Of hie. people.
Tho Negro doctor il the logical Moses
to lead his people out of the slough Of In
sanitation which contaminates their pres
ent and inoculates their future. 1t II
Just as necessary to teach the average
mind how to care for and preserve tho
physical body for service in the affairs OF
life as It Ii to train the mind to store up
knowledge for use in the educational
world. A trained and well educAted mind
II seriously handicapped by a diseased
body. The duty of the physician then to
the family and the community today
makes It incumbent upon him to not only
prescribe for the sick and AFFLICTED after
disease and disorder have seized and TAX
en- possession of the body. but to advise
preventive measures. to influence legisla-
ton toward the enactment Of sanitary
laws which should be obeyed.
There should be no race more interested
in putting advising some influential
physician to be placed by the people in
the legislature. who would pledge himself
to keep an eye single to the health Of the
people. than our race. II we as race
clamor for better conditions among US
some Of the southern white people will in
tercede for US In this particular and do
for us ~ they usually do in all other
thfngs-help US when they see that We are
trying to help ourselves.
But who among US shall take the lead?
Who among US Is the logical pioneer and
who the psychological Moses? The Negro
doctor. The physician must manifest a
deeper interest. a more general concern.
in the welfare Of his people. who look too
often upon the wine when it IL red"
We see plainly cause for the continued
growth and the multiplying Of prisoners.
Jails and penitentiaries. In reciting per
sonal damage done to the individual who
indulges in the drinking habit the half
has not been told. The physician should
endeavor to bring pressure upon such per-
sons as would turn them against the
liquor habit
There 10 Infinitely a greater field for
professional work on the part Of the doc
tor in his efforts to ameiiorate conditions
among the people than there is in admin
istering to the sick. Prevention Is the
greater and most logical duty for the ply
sician to perform. II tho masses are per-
mftted to blunder blindly through life
without the aid OF a guiding hand In se-
lecting home sites. choosing domestic en-
vironments respecting sanitary conditions.
We need not expect any better than to
suffer by reason of our lack Of knowledge
along these lines 6 health laws than We
would expect to remain out of the courts.
jails and penitentiaries IL we did not know
! any better than to transgress the civil
laws.