Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-13
Bv Fredcric !. Haskin.

By Frederic j. HaSkin.
Washington, d. c., Feb. 12.-You
it? Arc you sure that some obscure
organic defect is not at work in YOU
like a loose nut in a motor, laying up
trouble for the future?
This luEubrious and disturbing qucs-
tion is addressed to you by the United
States Public Health Service. 1t does
not want to scare you, or anything like
that, but it does want to impress upon
you the fact that a human engine, IKE
any other kind, needs an overhaulinE
once in a while, even though it stun
runs that little defects taken early
save much trouble later. And all of
this becomes increasingly pertinent be-
cause as we become more sedentary
and civilized. we are more and more
prey to Gegenerative diseases, wltich
gain holds upon us insidiously and Of
ten no marked symptoms until they
arc well established. An unimportant
| toothache gives you -lenty OF warn
ing when it arrives, but the onset or
! cancer may be painless.
| IF one would feel as much concern
over a slight shortness of breath as he
does over catch in the enginel OF ms
automobile, there would be fewer MID
dle-aged men and women tottcrlnE
around with old-ago diseases" says a
Public Health official.
| What people ought to do, he ex-
plains. what they will learn to do in a
few generations, is to take time TO
keep fit, and have themselves over
hauled regularly, once a year, by a
competent physician A complete ply
steal examination annually should be-
lcome an accepted part of health rou-
| tine. 1t is similar to the idea of pre-
venting dental decay by visiting
dentist every few months to have the
teeth cleaned and repairs made II
|
| truism the statement that such a trip
10 the dentist saves money and suf-
rering in the long run But they have
not learned that an annual physical
examination is he same kind of an
| investment.
The Mierobe Fear
| The general attitude toward health
| at present is this: People have learn
ed to realize the danger of diseases
like scarlet fever and smallpox. Water
supplies are carefully filtered and
guarded against contamination be-
cause the danger of typhoid and mala
ria Is understood. Pasteurization OF
milk is rapidly being added to tho re-
quirements of city health boards, be-
cause the chances for bacteria OF tnp-
erculosis and other diseases to thrive
in raw milk have been proved. AS a
result of such precautions taken by
local or state officials there Is less IN
fectious disease than ever before.
But when 1t comes to preventing
heart disease, cancer. Bright's disease
hardening OF the arteries-thc mala
dies that slowly develop until they be
come fatal-there Is almost nothing be
ing done. Doctors are still expert
mcnting with cures and admit that II
the later stages of the chronic degen
erative diseases they are baffled. Ant
ths average individual who knows al
about them from hearing of tho com
plants of his friends goes blissfullN
along boasting of his digestion and his
strong nerves until he too suddenl!
has well developed ailmcnt to tall
about.
A study OF life tables. according te
the Public Health Service. shows that
so far as versions OF forty and over
are concerned. they die at Just about
the same rate as they did half "A cen
tury ago. Further back than that
figures are Incomplete.
What carry off these older people ir
the great majority OF cases are the
chronic diseases. Generally these dis
cases get strong holds upon the in
dividual before he knows OF any dan
ger.
doctor can note the signs much
earlier than the laymnn. But even h'
cannot always detect the warning
signs by a casual inspection. There
fore, the Public Health Service says
that an examination is not much gooc