The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-23

State Society of Public Health OIL
GERS. This organization is doing 4
valuable service and with proper co.
operation on the part OF the doctors.
is capable OF being of Very great as
s~istance in distributing sanitary props
uganda.
| am thoroughly convinced that the
practical solution of many OF our
health problems is the full time coun-
" health officer. | feel sure that this
subject has not received the consider
alton from the profession which its
Importance demands. There is not =
county in North Carolina which either
by itself, or in conjunction with an
other. cannot have a full time health
officer. The official endorsements and
recognition of the whole time health
officer idea by this society would very
materially aid the state board OF
health and it's officers in molding pub
lie sentiment favorable to his idea.
/ hope this society as an organization
will axe some decided and advanced
step in this matter.
Duty to The Profession.
The second great duty of tho
doctor is to his profession. Doc
tors are frequently expected To
be more than human. but really
they are not. An incentive is
essential to our best work. l am too
conscious of my own weakness to crit
icise my colleagues, n | love my co.
workers too we'll to scold them. and I
mean to do neither when l say that
many, very many. doctors do not take
their profession seriously. 1t is too
often the case that we discontinue
studying to a large extent after we
receive our license. If each Of as
knew that every two or three years
we would have to face an eNamina-
ton on the results Of which our con-
tipronoo in the nractico 0onpnHc1
we would study harder and give more
attention to our work, all of which
would rebound greatly to our good
and the good OF the people. l I'M
hesitatingly advocate the reeXamina-
ton Of physicians at least every five
years. This may be a step too ad-
vanced for our day. l think not. l
am of the opinion that if the board OF
examiners were to offer to re-eXamine
physicians n if the secOn and sue
ceSSive license be made a badge of spe-
cial honor, that sooner or later public
opinion would compel most physicians
to take these examinations even with
out the enactment of legal require
ments. ! am sure that the idea is
feasible, and that a plan can be devel-
Oped which would be practical and
beneficial.
ain this connection, I will say that
for reasons too numerous to mention
now, l also favor special examination,
in addition to the general examination
now required, for those who engage
in special work. Not every man who
claims to be a ~gynecOlOgist is one,
not every man who claims to be a Spe-
cialist in any other line of medicine is
really capable of doing special work.
Special license would not only protect
the general practitioner. but, and vast
ly more so, the public as we'll. To
| SlmDlV saw it cant or ShOnl0 not he
done because other states have not
done so does not appeal to me in the
least. 1t is no die boast to say that
North Carolina's history, medical and
otherwise, bears out the statement
that we do not have to follow. We
can teach and lead.
| am sure that practical plans can
be worked out by this society and put
in effective operation without special
legislation for the examination Of
those who desire to practice a spe-
cialty which examination should be
an additional examination required OF
them after they W. been granted a
license to practice medicine, as now
given. l advise the appointment OF
a committee to study these two sug.
gestions and report at our next annua
session.
Relation to Medical Organization.
In no way car the Individual physi
>HAA w ~ MAINTAIN the nODOl
and dignity of the profession, advanc,
It's interest and in so doing bette
serve humanity while, at the sam
time and what is Of prime Importance
make himself a better doctor than b,
l actively identifying himself with tn
county, district and state societies.
] FOR this is the law Of the jungle,
? AS old and as true as the sky,
1 And the wolf that shall keep it mus
prosper,
And the wolf that shall break
I must die.
1 AND the creeper that girdles the tire
S trunk,
e The law runneth forward and bacl
For the strength of the pack is tn
wolf,
e And the strength of the wolf is tn
n pack"
e Simply joining is not sufficient. on
e should go further than this. Or
n should attend the sessions and TAX
an active part in the meetings.
. IN the medical society, and the,
e | alone can the doctor Ioa- -.