The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-10-13
D 0 U C | A 5 N E W 5
DIR. COFFEY GIVES TALK
 AT D. I. w. C. MEETING

Prefacing hls remarks with the Statement that a majority of people
 do not appreciate the type of doc tors in Alaska, and the facilities lthey now have for diagnosis, Dr.
 Robert M. Coffey gave a most in teresting talk before the Douglas
 Island Women's Club here last eve- ming.
 The speaker criticized people for their reluctance to secure early diagnosis which in many cases will not only alleviate unnecessary suf- fering but premature deaths as we'll
 Briefly, Dr. Coffey mentioned some of the important steps in the advancement of medicine. Starting with early times, he said. both medicinal and surgical treatment was a mystery to everyone. But functions of the human body are as logical as the mechanism of an automobile or washing machine.
 In the old days the art of medicine
 was emphasized to cover up what
 they didn't know about the science
 of the profession. Since 1915, how ever, advancement has been great est in medicine. In the 18th cen- tury barbers first took care of the ailing with a bleeding treatment for everything. Later in the same century medicine was discovered. In 1847, PaSteur found bacteria and from that time the theory of in- lection by bacteria grew with treat ment by vaccine and injection of Serums growing apace. In France a vaccine for chicken cholera was discovered In England, anthrax, a germ disease found on the bristles of cattle was found and the anti dote dicovered In 1872 Lister, a surgeon in London, worked out a technique to prevent infection in operative cases by sterilization and the method was adopted in this country in 1890."
 Dr. Coffey's father started the practice of medicine in ColfaX, Wash, he said, and was the first one in that community to apply Dr. Listers principles. Successful operations of the future, the speak CT continued, will be based on furth- CT knowledge of how the human body functions. More recent discov- cries in treatments of diseases that were formerly fatal are the use of insulin in diabetes, cure for pernicious anemia and serum treat ment for streptoccic infection, as the leading ones, he said.
 There are still few diseases not yet understood fully. One is arthritis. Sometimes it is cured and just how they do not know The much-dreaded cancer, still of intricate understanding, would not | be necessarily fatal if early diag- nosis was resorted to and it could l be determined.
 "The facilities in Alaska today 1 are excellent and equal to those | in any other section of the coun- try" concluded Dr. Coffey.
 An open discussion followed Dr. Coffey's address, as he invited ques- tions on any subject pertaining to his subject.
 The meeting, which was held at Jhe home of Mrs. George Wood- bury, was presided over by Mrs. Q. A. Wilder in the absence of 1 Mrs. Charles Fox, chairman. Mrs. Elton Engstrom was elected secre- .ary.
 A letter from Mrs. Mildred R. Hermann, who is head of the AL aska Federation of Women's Club, vas read, explaining the theme of ner term of office as Adjusting | Democracy to Human Welfare"
 Miss Frances Hess told the club ! of the equipment needed in her de- Home Economies at