The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-23
GREATER ATTENTION MUST BE
GIVEN TO RURAL SANITATION
DR.. J. M. Parrot, Retiring President Medical Society,
Stresses This and Other Health Needs Of The State
in His Annual Address

however ancient usages are fire.
u~uently as harmful as good. l pos
seSs a natural diffidence to accepting
the new and | try not to be the last
to lay the old aside" AS times
change, new conditions arise ana al
progressive citizens will ~endeaVOr 10
be rid of the evil of the old and to
possess the good of the new. Usage
prevents the doctor from using puDlc
print, and in most instances does SO
ightl However,, there are tunes
and conditions under which the press
| can be Of service for great good, botn
to us and the public. 1t seems to me
that we need a revision OF our code OF
ethics along the lines of relations OF
the doctors to the newspapers and
public print. | nave no Speclal rec
om~mendation to offer along this line,
but the time is rapidly coming II no
already here. when we shall nave 70
use this splendid agency for good
more literally than at present. This
suggestion will furnish food for the
further thought. l only mention 1T
now that it may have your cOnSidera-
ton to the end that it can be solved
Alright when the question finally arises
as arise 1t will with the broadening
Of the suns" A closer relation with
the can but be beneficial
if that relation is properly safeguard
ed. Newspapers are our most-pOW-
erful beneficial agencies when prop
erly used. They can make us better
understood and can help us to an i'm
measurable extent in our great work
as ~sanitarians and publicists.
Sociology.
One of the chief, if not the
chiefest characteristic of this g
is the effort to improve the social con-
dition of men. More forcibly perhaps
than in any other period Of history
la sociological questions been
brought to the forefront. In all work
Of this character, doctors, since they
are good members of society. are in
terested, but there are some of those
with which they are especially con-
cerned. Indeed several are all but
crowding themselves upon physicians,
and we cannot escape them if we
would. l am happy to say that we
would not if we could. Of the very
5 first importance is the one arising
from socalled social vices. We all
t know the cause of general pareSis
and understand just what general pa
resis means. The records Of the in
sane asylum show that over II per
: cent of the inmate are there because
: of this malady 1t is unnecessary to
call the attention of this gathering to
the many other damages done by
= syphilis. The mere mention of the
WIN SOAAOA "A"So NA>
memory of the doctor the most hide
Gus Of all scenes. It's blighting effect
S is manifest in many sterile homes
e Observation-Disclosures or nervous WON.
: en- attest it's damning effects. 1t has
laid it's deadly hand on many a noble
+ boy and left him, if it left at all, to
limp through life, all prospects
blighted, to an early grave. You anG
l nav seen it touch the fairest O.
n earth's fair flowers, and wither then
in a blight, and then, cormorantlike
?, yet unsatisfied with stealing happi
a ness from mothers, JOY from wives
& and health and life prospects from
men. AVE we watched it stretch fortl
: its talons and strike to it's lasting ruiz
the babe in the cradle. Men an,
brethren, can we deal it too hard
! blow? Let the blind and maine,
IS answer, let it's gnarled and deforme,
IS victims speak, let blighted hopes tel
v. their mOurnful story.
h We can't dodge the issue by say
e ing boys will be boys" nor can W
} Justify indifference by crying, "Oh, h
is just sowing his wild oats" TIL
~ root Of the evil, in my judgment. lie
Is in that peculiar distorted public opin
ion which permits one standard TO
1T men and another for ome Onl
"a by precedent and custom can tn
Of double standard be justified. Let u
remember hat often precedent an
Id custom have ruined many a HON,
al and consigned to the graveyard of tn
n nation many a prOpl The mel
e. statement that there are 500, 900 pros
r titutes III the United States, and thes
a registered. and two millions plyin
c. their awful trade clandestinely to tn
ly cost of society Of three billion dollal
al a year, one billion more than OF
drink bill, sends an arrow of sadne.
ed to the very heart of q right thinkin
he man, and justifies the time and car,
nd full consideration of any gathering
citizens, and more especially doctor
Folks must be educated out of II
er horrors produced by the arch VII
"a of this day-the double standard
a virtues so called. as though Writ,
6S could have any other than one stan,
he ard. The knowledge and influence
he physicians brings to them a respons
bility, and this responsibility can
met in no better way than by preac]
ey ing virtue. The medical professit
as must drag it's s~ixteen-inch guns
the top of 203 Meters Hill and tn,
lze them on this Port Arthur of sOci
en- vices and drive them to surrender
is smash them to ~smithereens.
4 nun