The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-11-09
AN EVENING WITH THE
MEDICS.

MEDICs.
Last Monday evening the Ram
sey County Medical Association
had the hardihood to throw open
it's doors to the members of a GER
tain Citizens Committee, and ad-
NIT them to listen to the DISGUISE
lions of it's members on the serious
topic of influenza. On the whole,
under the able Craftsmanship of
DR.. Buckley, the doctors stood the
test of public audience very well,
The members of the committee, it
may be said, received some new
instruction and had some common
places of popular science given
with new emphasis and greater
precision. Drs. Richards, Gilfllan,
Sneve, McLaren, Bacon, and other
stars of the medical armament,
shone with satisfying brilliancy.
There was conspicuous humility
and lack of bumptiousness in MAX
ing their statements which would
have disguised Pico della Miriam
dola, but which was in keeping
with the discussion of disease
that the doctors admitted they
knew little ABOUT and did not
know at all how to overcome.
Were Lister. and Pasteur redivivi
they would have. taken great de-
light in listening to their pro-
nounced disciples, although they
might have been somewhat peeved
not to have received a mention.
AS long as the doctors confined
themselves to particulars and to
medical science they were happy
enough; but the moment they
launched into general statements
or encroached on other domains,
they went on the rocks. DR.,
Smith, a young man who undoubt-
eddy will be heard from later, in
a few we'll chosen words, brought
the association from it's illogical
wanderings back to it's own proper
domain. Some of the general
statements which came to grief
were the following:
| Children are not prone to get
Influenza. Alas, they have it
Keep warm and you are safe. The
East and South were sweltering
and lost hundreds Of thousands of
Inhabitants. all windows
open and you will stop influenza :
may, you will promote coughing
and sneezing and the wind will
scatter the germs.
| Logic was thrown to the winds
in the following: The medical
boards of other cities have closed
up everything and accomplished
nothing: therefore, we must close.
1t is useless to close the churches
and schools if you do not close the
Estreet cars and department stores
but we must go on record, and
therefore they ought to be closed
ALL who are susceptible to the
influenza are going to get it, nc
matter what we do; therefore we
recommend masks and zone OF
safety.-Serums are no good, but
we will run up bill against the
public in providing them.-It is
better to be through with the cpl
demic before the cold weather
therefore close some places anC
prolong it as long as you can
Persons over thirty are immune
Therefore it is advisable that they
lido not go to church.-We are the
lonly authority on medical ques
Itions; therefore we should endorse
1.-THE almost unanimous resolution
}, lof the Citizens Committee on {
medical question. woman with
, a probable case Of influenza wen
Ito church therefore churches, GER
J tainly, and not the woman SHOULD
, be locked up.-The Pioneer Pres
, "a paper proverbially right by
accident and wrong by instinct
: says, "In the name of Heaven, d.
: something" Therefore we shoulC
close the churches and leave tn
Z dives with "a zone of safety"
Such was the remarkable logi,
I of the medical fraternity until DR.
!. Smith brought them home. The.
5 saw only two arguments in tn
i matter of partial closing: Science
j (which was against it, and tn
frenzy of the Pioneer Press whicl
!. favored st. and they were about t
!, Iabandon Science, and bow t
i frenzy. "
II As we goAto press there is
!. Irl1lilOr Of cfoSinp the whole cit