The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-07-24
PREVENTION OF DISEASE.
Dr.. A. M. Brown Delivers Able Address
on Duty Of Physicians.

Dr.. A. M. Brown Delivers Able Address
on Duty Of Physicians.
Atlanta, Cain a recent address de-
livered in this city by DR.. A. M. Brown,
M. 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 one knows better the existing condi-
tons, the influences, the surroundings and
ehe 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
roundings, influences and environments
30 well as the Negro physician. No one
IL more DESTROYS Of changing, rectifying,
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 his people.
The Negro doctor is the logical Moses
to lead his people out Of the slough Of in
sanitation which communicates their pres
emit and inoculates their future. It Ii
Just as necessary to teach the average
mind how to care for and preserve the
physical body for service in the affairs Of
life as 1t is to train the mind to store up
knowledge for use in the educational
world. A trained and well educated mind
IL seriously handicapped by q diseased
body. The duty Of the physician then to
the family and the community today
makes 1t 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-
6on toward the enactment Of sanitary
laws which should be obeyed. ~ -.
There should be no race more interested
In putting or 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. If we as race
olamor for better conditions among US
some Of the southern white people will In
tercede for us in this particular and do
for us as they usually do in all other
things-help US when they see that we are
trying to help ourselves
But who among us shall take the leadf
Who among us is the logical pioneer and
who the psychological Moses? The Negro
doctor. The physician must manifest
deeper interest a more general concern.
In the welfare Of his people, who look too
often upon the wine when 1t 10 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
INDUCES 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. ,.r
There IL infinitely greater field FOR
professional work on the part Of the doc
tor in his efforts to ameliorate conditions
among the people than there II In admin
istering to the sick. Prevention Ia the
greater and most logical duty for the ply
sician to perform. II the masses are per-
mitted to blunder blindly through life
without the aid Of a guiding hand In Sc
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 Of health laws than we
would expect to remain out Of the courts,
jails and peniteptiaries II We did not know
any better than to transgress the civil
laws. .r~ ..,