The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1916-09-20
ADVANCE III MEDICAL SCIENCE

W, p Ken only a few years com
car.d other similar sciences Mod
ern medicine is 50 di~a-cnt,y CARRIED
that it is hard to realize that its
f,ororitor, the age Of herbs, has
eyer "xi.:d 1t is nevertheless true
sud f@ been bat few years in
che past.
The curative side Of the old has
q away to the prophylactic OF the
r>g~ Dy prophylaetic, we mean the
r,o,.ntion of disease. If we can pre-
vent disease, there is no need for
curative measures This work has
only bn~,in and has accomplished
~onderfIl results in the diminution
Of disease. AS it goes on with ad-
vxnced knowledge Of correct living
and saritation and prevention, dis
case may be wiped out entirely;
this is looking too far in the future
but it serves as guide to higher
ambitions.
In the old era, diseases were not
classified except under general heads
- fever and rheumatism. Today this
l. not accepted as most diseases are
classified specifically, either in groups
Or singly, according to their respec-
live causes. Logically, it follows that
IN those days there were no specific
curative agents. Herbs were given
for every aiiment from the most
t-iva, to the gravest. These were
not given singly. but in large varie-
ties, forming what is known as the
shotgun prescriptions of today. 1t
Arrives its ri,kname from the fact
II t it contains almost every drug
Known with the hope that one of
the Ingredients will cure the ailment.
A relic Of this is fonnd in the patent
Aruo remedies which claim to cure
everything from it"hing to heart
disease. However these are fast he
ing who'd o-t Ky the State and Fed
eral authorities and are almost off
Ehe ~-"r'-nt todav.
With the advent and subsequent
de.,,'c mot IF the microscope. med
ici-e has mad notable advances. To
Aa~ --a-- d;cn"sns are diagnosed
THROUGH this mears alone. and II
f~-vrr Mt of Tho equipment Of ev
crv -o,d~~1 doctor AS evidence of
it. i-,-o-taroc it was only after
Eho--.h il 1865 discovered the IT,
oh~;' -~~r rs the cause of typhoid
fe--~- .'af ,un were able to wipe it
arr - >~c-ont tho recurrence OF
se,~-n o-idamics. The germ was dis
ecv,~~d ~ r1oars Of the microscope
II wrc found in water drinking
s7ro'i7s> that had been contaminated
frr-- ;rz,nitary resources. Then with
thu aid of sanitation we were able to
prevent this fearful and terrible
scourge. This is applicable to num-
Der of diseases such as malaria etc.
Today through the beneficence Of
men like Carnegie and Rockefeller,
We have research laboratories where
men work out the cause of disease.
After this is worked out they find out
how it is spread and thus prevention
Of the disease itself. Then last of all
the cure is found. Among the most
prominent laboratories of this kind
are the cancer where the scientists
are working day and night and until
the cause is found there can be no
modes # pre- "ntion and no satis-
factory cure. Disease after l'sease
has Ten worked rut and ~. 'iec :
:, me laboratories and at IT,. bed
side
In the days Of old there were no
.,,n Iarde for medical con.'-~-. T. t'~
Cr,. place no entrance rev icy er''
regarding previous edrca+;H'' wrr"
wanted, but any one who cold sp"n'
two or at the most three VOWS and
nay a few dollars for di,'"~'a we~"
given degree Of doctor T"dav med
zeal colleges are s+"-d"~''iZ"d ard
classified They require at least two
years of college work. four years in
the medical college and at least one
years interncship in hospital. Thus
the graduate of today is better able
to cope with disease and prevention
than the one who had not had this
training.
It IS not only the doctor who has
advanced. but also the lay public.
Today magazines and newspapers arc
printing articles pertaining to health
ard disease which wo-'d have caused
tteir suppression in olden days. With
education comes INTELLIGENCE and thus
IGNORANCE is dispelled and with it the
incorrect wavs of living and SAM
tation. Physiology is taught in all
the public schools 81 every child
knows the different organs Of the
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