The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-29

: highest developm ent, but II has made
wonderful strides tnnvards that PIN
naclc. Much is lefS for discovery.
/ but intellectually more has been dis
/ covered. and 1t is not improper for
me 10 say that the practice of pre-
vention Tags far behind our knowl-
edge This is not an ircNcusahle in
dictment, there are definite explana~
tiors Rarely In hygone years were
health officers supposed 20 devote
more than a fraction Of their time
70 hnalth work. and even row there
arc far too many Communities with
part time health officers or volun-
, tarv aids Preventive medicine ia
decidedly a modern development,
and unless tho health officers arc
Adequately corr pensated unless they
devote all of their tine their brain.
! their energies their arplication to
their work prevcntiv" r7ndiclno will
not vie with curative medicine for
popular and scientific recognition
The curative practitioner knows
that his success financially or other-
wise depends upon MS acquiring ard
utilizing the best and latest knowl-
edge of his profession. 50 Re is eager
TO use all that science has unfoldoa
He studies constantly. he applies
himself diligently to di@cstin~ and
analvzing the latest discoveries Of
m et hods and practice. M keeps him =
self up to the minute with all that
his profession is doing nverYwhere
His patients gauge him by results,
and he knows that his success or his
failure depends uaon himself alone,
To tho contrary. the practitioner of
preventive medicine is a public serv-
ant subject 70 public within and po~
littcal caprice is limited in his fell
of action by legislative bodies COM
posed largely, If not entirely. Of Law
mon and they naturallv wait for the
people to be educated as 70 the value
Of prevention before they are will ne
10 hazard public funds in what NAV
he an unpopular, though worthy
cause
It is, indeed. most fortunate that
what science has revealed to us rn-
garding the prevention Of disease Is
so elementary simple that few Of its
facts are beyond the Immediate COM
prehension OF the average intelligent
layman: in this good fortune there
lies the great hope Of the future.
Since II is certain that when the Law
men generally understand not only
the causes Of most diseases. but their
ease of prevention, that money in
fair measure will be appropriated
for these endeavors. that public
health will take it's due rank in the
public eve. ard that the pra clifton
ers Of preventive medicine will be as
eager in the pursuit Of their profess
sion as are the doctors now engaged
In strictly curative lines
PERSONAL HABITS.
Let US look al the group of dis
eases that are transmitted hv the
secretions from the mouth and nose
The most competent. aggressive. in
tellicent indcfatigable health Officer
, cannot keep people from putting in
fected articles in their mouth, or
prevent them from coughing or
sneezing Unfortunately These dis
cases can only be controlled through
the creation of better personal hah.
its. Habits can be taught in the
home or in the school, through lee
lures. thrugh the newspapers, in d
word. through intelligent publicity.
suited To the individual or groups OF
individuals. The health officer caa
funiFate premises or disinfect after