Evening star., 1923-11-14
DOCTORS.
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE.

Doctors have been the favorite butt
Of ridicule throughout history.
The gibe of Voltaire strikes popu-
lar note:
Doctors are men who cram fnedi-
cine about which they know little
into bodies about which they know
less to cure diseases about which they
know nothing at all"
AS a matter OF fact, however, the
great army Of physicians represents
those who are devoting the most in
telligence toward alleviating the suf-
ferings Of humanity. Regular physi-
clans have done more, and are doing
more for the human race than all the
cults. sects, quacks and fads COM
bined, simply because they are con-
stantly studying facts, and are work
. ing in harmony with Nature herself.
The Northwestern University, in a
. recent pamphlet, gives some inter-
,esting data in regard to the advance
of science Of medicine.
|. Surgery, sanitation and education
have lowered the death rate by one
third in thirty years. as may be seen
by the following table:
For the year 1880, 1876 deaths per
1000 of population; 1900. .17.s; 1905.
16.o; 1910, $50: 1915. 1876; 1920, 13.1.
The history of medicine is marked
by many successful campaigns.
Lord Lister, q Scotchrnan. laid the
foundation for modern aseptic sur
gerry.
Louis Pasteur, a Frenchman, made
the discovery OF preventive inocu-
lation.
Emil Won Behring, a German, dis
covered the diphtheria serum, which
,, has reduced the mortality for this
disease 80 per cent
incubation and sanitation are in
a fair way to remove typhoid from
the earth. In the Spanish-American
war, one out of every Seventy-one
died of typhoid, while in the recent
war only one out of twenty thousand.
Dr. Walter Reed proved that yellow
fever was carried by the mosquito.
and Gen. William C. Gorgas put this
knowledge into practice in Panama
and made possible the completion OF
the canal which the French had found
impossible because of disease.
Roentgen, discoverer Of the X-ray,
and the CUries, discoyerers OF ra-
dium. have done much toward COM
batting disease.
Much remains 10 be done. Pneu-
nonia, which recently struck down
the President of the United States, is
still a problem. The scientists know
the germ. however, and in time, Will
find an immuniZing serum
1nsulin has stayed, II not cured, the
"incurable" diabetes.
The maternity record is discourag
Ing. In 1913 as many mothers OUT
OF every thousand died from child
birth as had died in 1890.
The death rate among very young
infants has not been very much i'm
proved. The business of being q
baby Is still the most hazardous job
in the world.
While the death rate Of tuberculosis
is decreasing, it still claims about
125, 900 lives a year.
Cancer is probably the greatest
problem in medicine today. One
woman out of every ten over forty
in the United States, and ono man out
of every twelve dies Of this disease
every year.
Goitre Is still battling.
Statisti,s show that diseases Of the
heart carry off more persons than
any other kind OF malady.
Progress. however, in legitimate
medicine is steady and permanent.
1t IS not unreasonable to suppose
| that the time will come when IL will
! be q crime to let q patient die before
| he is seventy-five, from preventable
or curabla disease.