The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-07-11
DOCTORS OF HEALTH.

An altogether new conception OF the SER
vice a physician can do for humanity can make
itself felt in the profession, according to some
of its foremost members. The idea is that, by
elimination of diseases through the removal
of their causes sickness can be prevented
The physician then would not be required to
cure a patient, but to prescribe things tor
him that will keep him we'll. The practitioner
would study his patient for weaknesses as a
mechanic might examine machine and re-
pair the place before break comes. That
seems perfectly logical and sensible, but ordl-
nari1v the man who feels we'll and is able to
90 on with his work will resist the efforts
of a physician to interfere with his activity
by insisting upon preventive. Still, as the
idea takes hold men and women might be-
come as much interested in avoiding illness
as in recovering after they are down. 1t would
help them to remember that "a stitch IN
time saves nine" Many a ship has been taken
into drv dock and made safe for the next
voyage.
DR.. S. S. Goldwater, of Mt. Sinai hospital,
New York, one of the best known physicians
in the country, believes the doctors OF health
will enable human beings to live much long
er than they do now. He says that medical
practice not only has learned how to cure
many diseases but how te prevent them and
that in many cases TIE race seems to be es~
tablishing an immunity. He then says that
almost the total net result so far has been
to increase the child's chances OF living to
middle age; people are still wearing out and
breaking down in the 40s and 5Hs at as rapid
pace as ever" So it is that persons in middle
age or beyond it only can have health and
strength by starting earlier in life to retain
them. DR.. Goldwater says of the doctors OF
health:
The physician of the future will be
come less and less disease specialist and
more and more a health specialist. II will
be health organizer. His business VIII
consist not so much of treating the sick
as of keeping people well. He will doubt
less be as interested III research work as
he is today; but his research will not be
limited to the discovery of some new dis
ease or to a new treatment OF the old
ones He will be interested even more IN
the discovery OF new ways to let mans
will to live assert itself
DR.. Goldwater then reminds that the ply
sician of the future already is here, and who
frequently is called a medical adviser" but
whose duties are not with disease but with
health and strength. Government officials
throughout the world have their doctors of
health, skilled physicians who watch them
carefully in order to conserve their strength
and thus to ward off attacks.
Today opens up numerous opportunities Tor
health seekers and health doctors. Systems OF
physical and mental training, of course, would
be worked out, diets would be studied with
more care, sanitation would be carried to a
high state of perfection. The thing that most
strongly recommends the doctors OF health
as necessity is understanding of the fact
that strong individual can more easily put
forth an effort for health than who has
grown weak and diseased through neglect.