Evening star., 1943-01-17

platform work, though their only pay Is
travel and hotel costs.
The woman: Mrs. Clarence Hirsch,
Kansas City, wife of doctor, daughter
Of former hospital president. The
dream evolved into the jackson County
(Kansas City Health Forum, which
sponsors monthly free lectures by re-
nowned physicians. A thousand persons
Is small audience.
The forum is built around the wom-
ems auxiliaries Of the county's six &C.
credited hospitals, organizations Of doc
tors wives and other feminine relatives
who take care Of the thousand and one
little of-the-ordinary chores that
plague hospital stats.
Five years ago Mrs. Hirsch stood up
In meeting and said she thought the
auxiliary women should have a chance
to find out little more about diseases,
symptoms and treatments.
IF we're going to do some of the dirty
work" she reasoned I'VE ought to have
a shot at some Of the fine theories and
a knowledge of the real problems of our
menfolks"
Furthermore, she thought it was ter
rible to hear doctors say with sad wag
of the head that 81 could have saved
that man If he had come to me in time"
Public Invited.
So Mrs. Hirsch invited the public to
attend her health education program.
She campaigned for several months
with letters, speeches and converse
tional prods before the county medical
society granted consent to begin the ex-
pertinent.
She was given tiny Office off the
medical society's suite and went to
work She still stays in the Office every
afternoon, five days a week. Mrs.
Hirsch was named the forums first pres
tdent and still holds the job
OF the forum, DR.. Morris Fishbein,
editor of the Journal of the American
Medical Association and several times
forum speaker, says: "I find the audi
ence one of the best to which I speak
anywhere in the United States. I feel
that the method of approach to the pub
lie with a view to educating them as to
sound medical material and as to what
constitutes competent doctors is most
useful one"
Mentioning several other forums, DR..
Fishbein says: Il doubt, however, that
any Of these have had the success of the
Kansas City forum"
Prevention Taught.
Formally the forum puts its purpose at
teaching preventive medicine before Sc
rious illness occurs" Mrs. Hirsch,
blunt-spoken, energetic little woman,
says it's this: Teach people to see
doctor while there's still something for
the doctor to work on, and to drive the
quacks out"
The forums sixth season began in
October In November the man who
made the first address came back, He is
DR. Walter c. Alvarez of the Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, MINI.
His topic was indigestion. His advice:
'Eat in peace; take your time"
Don't get angry and demand an op-
Grafton If your doctor says your indiges-
ton is caused by nervousness he eau
toned. 1--WE always said you can't
change a Pomeranian into a bull pup
with an operation.
How to Know Ouacks.
And don't fall into the hands of a
ouack Remember, you can always tell
a quack because he guarantees quick
cure and charges you tremendous fee
In advance"
DR.. Alvarez gave out specific advice to
all corners in question -and-answer ses-
sion after his talk He prescribed moth
ing, but directed sufferers to their own
doctors. That's policy of the forum.
Another rule is to have no home town
speakers, although some local doctors
are authorities in certain fields. Stirring