Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-05
Time Ideal
To Better
u. S. Health
Defense Medical Aides
Given Suggestions
BY LOGAN CLENDENING. VI. d

I HAVE a suggestion, in fact
something of a program for
the medical departments of the
civilian defense committees that
are being set up in all Of our
cities.
Just how much emergency
work these committees Will be
called on 10 do remains 10 be
seen.
If we have an influenza cpl
demic such as we had during the
last years of World War /, of
course they will have plenty TO
do.
With movements OF large
masses Of population, we must
expect at least 10 be prepared
tor epidemics Of infectious dis
eases, and if they come they are
likely 10 strain the resources of
our civilian hospitals and civil
medical profession.
The medical departments OF
the civilian defense committees
certainly will have 10 assume the
role of direction of all activities
IN such circumstances.
In the. ! hope remote, event Of
air raids they will assume even
more rigid authority.
OUCH emergencies aside, what
- are the medical departments
Of civilian defense. 10 do?
feel they have a great OPP
portunlty in that they can take.
advantage Of the general spirit
Of community alertnesS and will
lIngneSS 10 cooperate that such
an emergency as this cngenderS.
10 carry out health measures on
The population that cannot read
Ily be enforced IN peace time.
These measures are not eX-
periments.
They are tried and true.
They are not theoretical and
they are guaranteed 10 improve
the health Of America and Can
ada for years 10 come.
Why, You will ask. have they
not already been enforced?
They have 10 a certain extent,
but universal enforcement falls
by the wayside in ordinary
times because Of indifference.
carelessneSs and lack Of COM
mon spirit Of cooperation.
ONE such thing is the enforce
" ment of universal smallpox
vaccination
Nobody knows how large an
UnvaCcInated population We have.
The health boards try 10 en-
force it with Indifferent success.
Every once in a while when
smallpox breaks out in a certain
community, we are shocked 10
find that q large proportion Of
the population is, unprotected.
Here is something that is tried
and true. There is no real oppo-
Sition 70 il except among a mi
croScopIc lunatlc fringe.
The army certainly believes
in n.
If YOU undertake 10 visit
foreign country-Our good South
American neighborS for instance
YOU find that the steamer COM
panleS and the health officers Of
the foreign countries believe
IN II.
THEs same applies 10 universal
L y phoid incubation. The
health boards watch the water
but nobody can tell in military
emergency when that super
vision may have 10 Break down
In visiting the site of a large
defense production plant recently
| found that there had been sew
eral cases of typhoid fever re-
ported and that the purity of
the water supply was giving
concern
The only sure way Of universal
protection for life Is by individ-
ual incubation.
Again here is A great opportu-
nifty for tuberculosis case find
ings to weed out all the suS-
pcCted cases Of tuberculosis in
the community and segregate
the carriers.
Fifty years ago tuberculosis
and typhoid were the biggest
killers One hundred and fifty
years ago smallpox. typhoid and
tuberculosis were the biggest
killers.
In that short a time in mans
history we have learned how 10
control them.
Let us apply the controls uni
vcrSally.
Wouldn't il be a wonderful
thing If we could wipe out those
enemies for the next few gen.
erationS?
QUESTIONS. ANSWERS
A. NJ: I am interested in OBJ
tanning facts concerning lipoma.
fatty growths or tumorS under
the skin. What really causes
this condition?
Can il be controlled by certain
vitamins?
Is there anything the patient
can do 10 correct the condition
or 10 prevent the spreading of
these growthS7
Answer: Lipoma is an over
growth Of fatty tissue which is
Of the nature Of a benign tumor.
They never become malignant or