The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-05
PEOr LES tUkU M
A DOCTOR ON HEALTH SYSTEM

"A DOSA oIh O-N - VI To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 l trust you will not allow the critical. and rather cynical article, which appeared in your issue of twenty-first instant, on the Mos quito Scare" discourage you in your very helpful editorials - born, as I believe. of wisdom and the love of mankind-on health and health matters. As you have recently stated, The health of its people Is the states greatest as- set" Permit me to say that the wonderful potentialities inherent in properly conducted news paper can find no more fertile field in which to fructify or to do their more perfect work than In opportune dissertations upon health; because there is no sub ject outside of things spiritual that so Vitally touches the issues of life. And yet strange to say, there are onslaughts constantly being made first in one direction and then another on the only or ganization that stands as a senti- nel-an unselfish, but a vigilant sentinel-over this very important and valuable asset. The fault that lies too close to many is the er- roneous conclusion that every righteous motive is born of greed or based upon selfishness. Nay, the sordid trend of the times would so rob men of sentiment, trust, and honor that the glori- ous deeds of the old guard under Napoleon, the sources of inspira- tion to patriotism and fervent de- votion to country for every gen eration since, were but to earn the paltry monthly stipend. Why should there not exist now sim liar "esprit de corps" and why should it not prevail among the medical men-a high minded, hon. orable, altruistic class. Is is un- believable that they would be willing to devote a part of their time and talent to an unselfish effort to blend the many ramifi- cations of knowledge and science to the good of the people?
 l sometimes judge others by myself and l can truthfully say examining many motives in every possible light-that, during the forty five years of my member ship in the State Medical Asso- citation, l have never thought of the dollar from that source, nor have l ever seen anything that made me think that any one else did. Further than that, have never received a dollar from it. Sn fran1tnnt1t h I1 rome Cochrone vehemently de- clare that so long as his voice could influence the policy of the association there should never anything approximating legisla- tion in favor of the doctors, as a class. be passed; and I defy any one to find anything in it's laws and ordinances that directly tends to benefit a doctor.
 It is unfortunate that the con- serVation of health--"our states greatest asset"-costs money but there are very few blessings in this world that come without sacrifice. The ridicule of the dan ger from mosquitoes, flies and rabid dogs .may be very pleas ing diversion to some but l as sure them with all the earnest ness of my being that it is far from an innocent pastime. One of the most vivid pictures in my memory Is framed about with the evidence of the virulent poison pent up within the stegomyia fasciata, while the sombre back ground recalls the heroic martyr dom of Dr. Lazear and the in- trepid nurse, Miss Haas, during the experiments of the "Yellew Fevor Commission" in Havana. personally examined yellow fever patients where the virus was in- occulated by the mosquito, ap- piled to the body. from a test tube. This was during the meet ing the third Pan-American Med ical Congress in 1901. In conclu- sion. l have been led ont of my usual preference fer privacy through moo ther motive in the world other than .he hope of do- in2 good by pl@c.ng before the people the organized fcrces If the medical profession in :he true light. s. c. CARSON, MD.
 Greensboro, Ala, June %, 1925.