Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-15
Have Yourself Overhauled
BY Frederic J. Haskin
rrrAsArNATON. D. G.. Feb. l0.-Yo,


wv think you are we'll, but do you know
it? Are you sure that some obscure
"a ga2tc defect is not at work il you, like a
loose nut in motor, laying VI trouble for
the future?
This lugubrious and disturbing question is
addressed to you by the Unite States pub
lie health service. 1t does not ant to scare
you, or anything like that but it does want
to impress UPON you the fact that a human
engine, like any other kind, needs an <. err
hauling once in a while, even though it still
runs, that little defects taken early save
much trouble later. And all Of this becomes
increasingly pertinent because as we become
more sedentary and civilized, we are more
and more prey to degenerative diseases,
which gain holds upon US insidiously and
often show no marked .ymptoms until they
are we'll established. An unimportant tooth
ache gives you plenty of warning when ar
rives but the onset of cancer ray be pain
less
eff one WCu~d 1eel as much concern over
slight shortness of breath he does ov
catch in the engine of his automobile, there
would be fewer middle-aged men and women
tottering around with old age diseases" says
a public health official.
What people ought to DO, he explains,
what they will learn to do in a few genera
tons, is TO take time to keep fit, and have
themselves overhauled regularly, once year,
by a competent physician. complete phys
i0a' examination annually should become an
accepted part of health routine 1t is similar
to the idea of preventing dental decay by
visiting a dentist every few months to have
the teeth cleaned and repairs made if neces-
sary. People now regard as truism the state
ment that such trip to the dentist saves
money and suffering in the long run But
they have not learned that an annu physi-
cal examinations is the same kind of in
vestment.
The MicrCbe Fear
The general attitude toward health at
present is this: People have learned to real
ize the danger of diseases like scarlet fever
and smallpox. Water supplies are carefully
filtered and guarded against contamination
because the danger of typhoid and malaria
is understood. PAS eurizatiop of milk is
rapidly being added to the requirements of
city health boards, because the chances for
bacteria of tuberculosis and other diseases to
thrive in raw milk have been proved. AS
result of such precautions taken by local or
state officials there is less infectious disease
thar ever before.
But when it comes to preventing heart dis
ease cancer, B"ight's disease, hardening of
the arteries-the maladies that slowly de-
velop until they become fatal-there is al
most nothing being done. Doctors are still
experimenting with cures and admit hat n
the later stage, Of the chronic Gegenerative
diseases they are baffled And the average
individual who knows all about them from
hearing of the complaints of his friends goes
blissfully along boasting of his digestion and
his strong nerves until he too suddenly has
a we'll developed ailment to talk about.
study of life tables according to the
public health service, shows that so far as
persons of forty and over are concerned, thew
die at just about the same rate as they did
ha'f a century ago. Further back tha-. that
figures are incomplete.
What carry off these older Jeople in the
grea; majority of cases are the chronic dis
eases. Generally these diseases get strong
holds upon the individual before he knows
of any danger.
A doctor can note the signs much earlier
than the aynan. But even he canno" al
ways detect tn > warning signs by casual in
spection. Therefore, the public health serv-
ice says that examination is not much
good unless it is complete. For one thing,
the heart and lungs should be examined with
the patient stripped to the waist. This e i'm
portant because by clothing sounds are apt
to be smothered. And then too, the ma
terial makes a slight sound when touched and
that may cover the faint murmur or hitch
that means trouble.
After the general practitioner has made his
sll. vey if he finds a defect in sight, bearing,
heart action, or the nervous system, it may
be advisable see specialist. That is for
the patient to decide