Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-26

not De utterly neglected. II we couio
create q great interallied body with
this object as it's aim. we could revo-
lutionize the world.
"As a specialist in tuberculosis car
visualize clearly what such a work
would mean in that regard; but in the
case of other ailments tina effect
would be as great. Men and women
who come early to our sanatorium-
that Is. who have discovered, what
their trouble is and have begun to
treat it before 1t gains too great a
foothold-have eighty-five chances in
a hundred Of escape from the white
plague. In from seven to ten years
more than three-fourths Of them can
be as well as anybody else.
For the life Of me I cannot see
any reason why the righteous nations
should stop being allies simply be-
cause the war against Germany has
come to an end. There are other
wars which have not ended and which
VIII not end for many years to come,
II ever-wars against disease. The
wonderful work of the Red Cross has
begun that new alliance for these
wars which we should continue. but
there are many details of the great
combat of the future beyond those
with which tho Red Cross efficiently
can deal. :,
In June. at Atlantic City, we. Of
tho American Medical Association. had
the representatives of the alias a,
our guests. exchanging with them
thoughts on surgery and general med
icins- Now we go to their side Of the
ocean to consider with them tho par
ticular problem Of tuberculosis
Every meeting Of this sort is valu-
able. but why should we limit inter.
course upon such vital topics to these
occasional conferences.
III we are to have Internal ional
trade bodies, international labor con-
ferences. international meetings of
geographers; il we are to have an
international peace tribunal. whv
should we not have an Official organi-
cation In each government to SEQ to
1t that the absolutely vital matters
OF medicine, surgery and sanitation.
with the sociology connected with
them, should be considered constantly
BY international experts?
and II we do have such a provi-
sion. the law which constitutes II
should provide against admissions Of
tho non-progressive to it's delibera-
tions. Appointees should not be politi.
cal. but should be chosen by the pro-
fession in each country, or possibly
selected by the. government out Of
lists presented by the medical profess
sion. -:
rs not the subject big enough7 ID
not international health as important
as international commerce? We. in
America. have given less attention to
interstate health than to Interstate
commerce and the sad results Of our
neglect were revealed by the draft
board examinations.
The biggest social economic prob
lem now before the world is health
insurance. 1t has been an interest of
labor for generation and labor
seems now to be firmly in tho sad
die in the United States, as elsewhere.
1t is coming. 1t must come right or
fail Of its effectiveness.
1t Will be shaped to its final form.
PROBABLY, principally by the medical
profession. and tho medical profess.
sion must be very careful how II
Shapes 1t. Here in the. United States
we must see to 1t that what we do
Shall remain free Of the errors OF tho
European systems; we must see to
1t that no detail of the work shall be-
put into the hands Of incomnetep+
mon, becoming the refuge of those
who have been unable to make in.
comes elsewhere.
In the United States we have thu
oasis OF an organization, for practi.
cally tho entire profession during the
war years had some experience in
the public service. Thir.y-fve thou.
sand doctors worked with the mill.
tary and nearly all, the rest were
connected with the draft boards q,
served publicly in connection with tho
influenza epidemic.
The international situation may be
little moro difficult, but we have
international half q dozen other
things and - thu mama ,ons..-