The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-06-22

scent the approach of this arch enemy
OF our CIVILIZATION. of our people. when
Yet In the distance and sound the
alarm.
Unless the doctors in the State. act |
ing in their capacity as pickets. re-
port the location of the enemy. we will
enter n hght with a heavy handicap. |
early diagnosis of tuberculosis is of
equal Importance with the early
diagnosis of appendicitis. and there is
no excuse for a physician in North
Carolna, no matter how poorly pre-
pared, failing to make diagnosis in q
case OF tuberculosis until all the peo-
pie or average Intelligence in the
ne~lghborhood have made the diagnosis
from the general symptoms.
There are certain clinical symptoms
that can be reported by an average
nurse or intelligent person in the
family or community, that point so
strongly to tuberculosis that a dag
nosis is demanded, at least until it is
proven otherwise by an expert dag
nostician after careful and pains-tak-
ing examination; and the people are
becoming more and more familiar
with these clinical symptoms, just as
they are with the clinical symptoms of
appendicitis, and are demanding thNt
the doctors shall at least advance as
rapidly as they in the diagnostic
knowledge of tuberculosis; and the
doctor in North Carolina who does
Hol 40 tIllS Will appear TO PAD 0QNdnt-
age among his clientele.
In this connection let me say that
tuberculosis is a contagious disease.
1t has been placed in this category by
more h one State Board of Health
and it is a ~reporta5le disease under
the jurisdiction of every board of
l health deserving the name. 1t is hen
just as much the province of the
? health officer to give expert diagnosis
7 in tuberculosis suspects as it is in
I suspects Of diphtheria, scarlet fever,
: smallpox or any other contagious dis
ease. To this end the State Board of
e Health has provided that any health
officer may spend a week or a month
0 or as long as he desires at the State
z Sanatorium, perfecting himself in the
e diagnosis Of tuberculosis, and the by
sienic handling of the same, without
expense to him.
~ Conservation of Vision.
a The President tool the authority tt
form a section on the conservation OF
e vision for this session. We feel tina
e this is a very important matter il
/ North Carolina at this time. Thu
could for the education Of the blind il
our State and has done we'll. TIL,
State School for the Blind at Raleigh
under the direction of hat able cham
pion Of the cause of the blind am
splendid superintendent of the school
" HAS OcCu turning l1lC Dl1ilO pdupcIS -
as our State into Self-suppOrting citizens
is The State School for the Blind, ther
"a is an economic institution Of far
,e reaching Importance. However,
in would seem hat when One-third Of tn
pr blindness in North Carolina can b
< prevented by the expenditure Of tw
ne or three cents per head OR less, tha
f. we are pursuing a very short-sighte
err not to say foolish. policy. 1t Woul
r seem that it would be very much bet
I'd ter to build a fence along h edge c
A the precipice to keep people fro1
a falling over, rather than maintain a
ambulance in the valley below, and
State school for the blind. The med
is ical profession, as in all other matter
medical, must use their influence an
S. expend their efforts and intelligene
rd to bring about the desired result
or this particular instance. I woul
therefore recommend that this Socie1
ee form a permanent committee on TT
n conservation Of vision. The tit
lie mission of the Medical Society Of tt
e. State of North Carolina for h Co
VI %servation of Vision," this commissio
to act in conjunction with the Sta
Superintendent of the Blind and h
Board in conducting an education
campaign throughout the State for IL
his prevention of blindness and for IL
" enforcement of the wholesome lay
lot passed by our last General Assembl
ms the Secretary Of the State Board
le- Health to be ex-officio a member
lot this commission.
to Narcotics.
The use of narcotics In our State a
OF fects SO vitality the mental and physic
er- health of our people that [ feel COZ
cer PEELED to bring again the matter
of your attention. In doing SO l feel tn
On cannot do better than to refer Y,
en- to the comprehensive and point
Ia statement on this subject contain
::er, in the presidents address Of DR.. j.
ing Parrot last year, found IN pages
in and 26 of the proceedings of 19l
Of and but for the time REQUIRED to re
pie it, would embody it as a whole. T
nj records of our insane hospitals sh
1t tina SO per cent of the patients a
the there on account of the use of ma
ley cOtics. We are spending nearly thre
Der quarters of a million dollars eve