The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-23
Private HeaIers Are to Become
Community Health Off
GERS is Declaration.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 22.-The
American Medical Association con-
vention. has put up hep" SO to
speak, to the future. What Bernard
Shaw and our new social point Of
view seem to be agreed upon as to
what shall be the relation of the
medical profession to the public, the
doctors themselves forsee as newt
able. and working toward bringing
about.
This. says the Chronicle, is the
changing Of the doctor from mere
ly private practitioner, whose rela-
ton to his patient is limited to the
strictly personal, to n responsible
public servant, who Is also a public
benefactor. to be held accountable
by the community for the continuous
good health Of the community.
1t is toward this larger end that
the doctors themselves are striving,
as was shown by the information and
advice they impaired. and the appeal
for the cooperation OF the public
that they made at the open session
OF their convention, health conserya-
tion day.
The advance made in medical
science in the last half century has
shown them that the doctors work
is a bigger. broader work. with a
heavier burden on the Doctors con-
science. than the mere personal and
private task OF curing the Ills Of the
patient who calls him in and PAYS
him a fee.
DR.. Frederick w. Green, of Chi
cago. who is the secretary Of the pub
lie health department OF the Amerl-
can Medical Association. puts the new
order succlnctly in this way:
Under the old order, when the
family doctor was called in to treat
a patient with, say, typhoid fever, he
performed his duty when he cured his
patient. With that his relation to
the case began and ended. 1t was a
purely personal matter.
Now the doctors responsibility
Is wider. Now he not only does all
that science can do to cure the pat
lent. but he must. in doing his duty
by the patients family and the COM
munity, extend his investigation be-
hind the case. and throw safeguard
beyond it. as It were.
He not only treats his patient for
typhoid. but he looks into the his
tory Of the patient. Of his associa-
lions and his environment, to see
where he got typhoid: and uses all
the means that science offers to pre-
vent that case from broadening out
into an epidemic.
He must do the same thing, of
course. in the case fall infectious
and contagious diseases. He cannot
conflne his attention solely to the
patient who pays him his fee and let
the community Of the neighborhood
or the countryside 20 hang.
I'm his larger responsibility he
pays the penalty for his wider knowl-
edge, for we cannot forego the thing
we know should be done.
1T Is because of this wider knowl-
edge through which we have dis
covered that diseases can be pre-
vented that the doctor and the pub
lie must get on different footing
with each other.
THE doctors field must be a
public one-in governmental service.
federal state and municipal. His
work naturally must become con-
servation work-the protecting and
maintaining OF the health OF the
community. This he can accomplish
only with the cooperation Of the
community.
For example, the doctor, through
his special scientific knowledge. can
advise the public Of the danger from
an impure milk supply, from infected
meats. from the bacteria bearing
capacity Of unclean water, clothing,
bedding. dishes. cooking utensils,
etc. He can suggest the means Of
protection against these dangers.
Doctors will continue with priv
ate practice Of course, and the treat