Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-09
DOCTORS AT HUB
/ FAVOR ENFORCEMENT
or HEALTH LAWS

Boston, June illumination from
of physicians who wilfully fail or
refuse to comply with the local or
state health laws for the prevention
of disease was urged today by the
Preventative Medicine and Public
Health Section of teh American Med
ical Association. The section voted
to submit to theh ouse of delegates
tomorrow a resolution asking that
the house take the matter up with
its constituent associations and con-
slider as well amendments to it's own
bylaws designed to carry out the
suggestion.
The action followed discussion of a
paper by DIR. Leslie L. Lumsden of
the United States Public Health Ser
vice, on Public Health and Private
Practice"
1--WE have with us now" said DR..
Lumsden, "a problem of recent or
igin. 1t arises in connection with
the management and operation of
establishments called by various
names such as public health clinics,
health centers,' community hospit-
ais and others. Some who for one
reason or another are opposed to
these establishments, ruthlessly refer
to them as manifestations of the old
bugaboo. state medicine
Yet the conclusion is unacceptable
that Entertainment of diseased teeth.
la nf tIC nd
adenoids, the rendering of prenatal
care, the diagnosis and treatment of
tuberculosis and the correction of
certain other physical defects are,
whether performed in the private
office of the public health clinic, for
the prevention of disease and the
promotion of health and therefore
may properly be regarded as service
of a public health nature.
IF such clinics meet advan-
tageously a public need and are in
line with the increasing popular de-
mand for public health service, we
might as well recognize the fact that
they have come to stay and that
their number will increase"
DR.. John P. DAWN of New York,
opposing the resolution, urged that
physicians be not condemned for not
always reporting malaria or in GER
tain other instances for not break
ing the old and splendid rule of the
inviolability of the patients conf
dence." There was no essential diff
ference, he said, between the honest
private practitioner and the honest
public health officer
Supporting Dr. Lumsden's posi-
ton. DR.. Frank Billings of Chicago
said there were not even public
health officers.
I'VE must preserve the full power
of the public health officer to deal
with all phases of the prevention of
disease" he added. "On the other
hand we must preserve the integrity
of the medical practitioners domicil-
larry visitation"
DR.. John P. Grier of Cincinnati as
serted that there is ten or Is times
more medical work that needs atten-
ton than there are doctors to per-
form it."
1.-THE profession must be made to
the trenches and actively fight for
the cause of prevention"
Varying opinions on the impor-
lance and effect of psychology or
suggestion on a patient were ex-
pressed at a meeting of the section
on nervous and mental diseases.
DR.. Edmund Jacobson of Chicago
opening the discussion dec1ared tba
every practitioner of medicine
makes use of psychology whether he
knows it or not" Suggestion, he as
serted. was of great Importance and
used by all experimental psycholo-
gists.
DR.. Isador H. Coriat of Boston, de-
clared that suggestion was moth
ing more than thought transference
either waking or hypnotic. 1t is used
in what I call wild psvcho-analvsis
and accomplishes nothing for the
patient"