The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-06
Medicos To Feature
 Prominently In ''New
 Deal" Security Plan
Dr. Farrell Finds Human Rights Paramount in Presidents Policy; Reviews Treatment of Present
 Day Diseases as Compared to 25 Years Ago
tBY DIR. JOHN E. FARRELL)


 against the New Deal of our present government reminds one very much of the old time opposition waged by the self-styled-elite but better termed elTeter branches of ancient ciyiliza ton, whenever medical inno- vation or general improvement was attempted. z
 For centuries medical research and scientific Investigations have battled against mountains of ignorance and superstition. At last, during the last half century, par- ticularly the last quarter century, the. truth has broken through and like tidal wave, has swept smug tradition and pragmatic conserva- tlsm to one side and flooded the civilized world with the knowledge of 0 better life.
 May todays contenders for the New Deal in social security be blessed with similar success. But, oh Lord, let 1t not be 50 long in coming.
 President Roosevelts concept in the New Deal, as see 1t, Is noth- ing more than the claim that hu- man rights are the most paramount of all rights, and the thing he is most interested in is the greatest good for the greatest number of people. If this be so. then the me- dical man ought to be one of the most important accessories of the plan. Well never mind that.
 New Deaf PhiIosOhpy
 You asked me, MT. Editor, for some copy for your children, annual edition--something about the prac- tlce of medicine twenty Hive years ago as compared to today. Well, here 1t Is.
 Twenty-Five years ago summer diarrhoea was the bane. of the medical mans lie. Infants and children wilted and died by the hundreds. despite our most vigilant and assiduous care.
 Tn those days scarlet fever ram- paged without check. We knew very little of It's origin and as Q consequence, our treatment was Q matter of hit or miss. The disease was protein in its manifestations and. like fiend in the dark, 1t hit out in the most unexpected places, now the throat and deep tissues of the neck, crowding the child to suffocation. Again the ears or mas- told. leaving deafness in It's trail, now the heart, often imparing it's function for life, again the blood stream was polluted and the victim died of blood poisoning. Almost every part of the system, the bones, the eyes, the nerves, was Q prey to it's ravagcs. In the confusion and un- certainty of the attack the poor doctor was often dismayed and be- wildered and, as Q consequence, his treatment was often as vicarious and uncertain as the disease itself.
 Diptheria
 Whooping cough ran rampant in those good old days.
 We knew nothing of It's cause and the treatment was as desultory and inadequate as the theories that were advanced to explain its origin theories as far adrift from the truth as sickness is from health.
 Diphtheria was much more pre- valent in those days, and though we had an anti-toxin 1t was not the perfected agent we have today. At that time the health department was not supplying anti-toxin to the needy and the cost was terifically high and serious cases required im- mense doses. What with the ex- pense. certain prejudice against new fangled ideas and other un- controllable factors the mortality was very high.
 Meningitis in those days was a familiar occurrence. Except it's gross symptoms and the murderous stealth of its attack we knew little about 1t and were as inadequately prepared to cope with 1t as in the case of scarlet fever.
 Pneumonia was the big killer in those days and though our treat ment improved as time went on the mortality always remained high.
 Infantile paralysis was seldom Seen in the epidemic form; of course I am speaking of Waterbury. In those days 1t was never recognized until the paralysis was full blown. E"en then 1t was often called some thing else and, treated ag a diaeaae