Norwich bulletin., 1916-01-28
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Some Startling Truths and Their
Mesnina by Sheldons Leavttt, M. o.,
Member of the American Association
for Clinical Research.

Mr. Editor: DR.. Leavitt In recent
article contributed to a current medical
magazine says; For at least three
decades we have been priding our
selves upon the results of recent adj
vances in methods of health protection
and promotion. We have pointed to
the relative youthfulness Of our men
and women of so and so years, as COM
pared with those of like ages a half
century ago. We have gone so far as
to hope that at the present rate of
Improvement man might ultimately
reach q point where he would be
mere boy at three score and ten. In a
statement recently made by the Life
Extension institute it is shown by sta
tisttcs that the average duration of
life in this country beyond the middle
period Gao years. has been reduced 20
per cent. In the last 30 years.
Another surprise Is found in the
fact that in England and Wales the
duration of life for the same period
has increased 20 per cent. 1t appears
that while improved sanitation has re-
duced the mortality from communica-
Bile diseases like typhoid and scarlet
fever, diphtheFia and smallpox enough
to a little more than neutralize the
effects of the slump among those not
so subject to such diseases the death
rate from the degenerative diseases of
heart, arteries, kidneys and generative
organs peculiar to those who have
passed 40 years is rapidly Increasing.
Among scientists in general, includ-
ing the medical profession, the consen-
sus or opinion is that the human ma
chine is run too fast, too far, and too
unsteadily; that it is driven over too
rough roads, for too many hours a day
and for too many days in a week;
while by others it is driven over the
| same roads too often on too dry bear
| ings and too small horse power In
other words, is worked too much OF
too little, has too little air and sun
light. and does not go under inspection
often enough.
HAS the cardinal feature been over
looked? I think it has. In a sense we
are machines true enough; but in q
much larger and more important
sense we are not. Those who recog-
nize in man nothing more than bone
and soft tissue, holding in their orig
inal protoplasms some sort of life
| principle, put together on mechanics
| principles and controlled by a system
Of ref1exes, very consistently see moth.
| ing but machine which should bt
treated like any delicate mechanism
| A goodly number of sensible men and
| women, however, see in man a sou
| equipped with physical sense Of ex-
4 preston on the sense plane
/ Major General Gorgas says: The in
creasing wear and tear of modern Elk
istence on the vital organs of the bod!
can be checked only by spreading
knowledge of personal hygiene--o
healthful habits-and by inducing PEG
/ pie to give the human machinery peri
odical physical inspection as they d,
fnanimate machinery
i 81 am in hearty accord with the gen
eral in the first clause Of his asser
ton, but seriously object to the sec
ond in the present state Of medica
theory and practice. It is a pur
sophism. Is 1t not folly for one I
take pains to acquaint himself wit
!. physical conditions calculated I
awaken anxiety and weaken his fait
in the future. unless, after so doing,
can turn with certainty Of relief {
some form of treatment at the hand