Evening star., 1948-05-03
Medical Chiefs
Differon Truman
Health Program
Dispute Is Centered
On Having Voluntary
Or Compulsory Plan

Or Compulsory Plan
Delegates to the National Health
Assembly, where leaders in medi-
cal and other sciences are drafting
a l0-year program for the Nation,
today debated how medical serv-
ices are to be improved.
There was agreement that these
services must be improved but
there was disagreement whether it
should be on a voluntary or COM
pulsory basis.
The 300 delegates meeting at the
Hotel Statler had before them the
plea of President Truman, made
Saturday night, for his national
health insurance program pat
termed after social security.
This was discussed yesterday at
a section meeting on The Nations
Need for Medical Care"
Favors National Program.
DR.. Ernest P. Boas of New York
said the best way more medical
service can be brought to people in
the lower-income groups is through
a national compulsory health in
Surance plan such as the Govern
ment has proposed.
DR.. R. l.. Sensenich, president
elect of the American Medical Asso-
citation, led the opposition.
He described Government plans
in such fields as always clumsy"
He said the best social system is one
that gives people the opportunity to
do for themselves"
Before their meeting ends tomor-
row the Health Assembly delegates
are expected to recommend a 10
year program covering at least IA
points of national health.
Vivisection Discussed.
Another special section meeting
Of the assembly discussed vivisec-
ton and, in resolution, upheld
the use of live animals for expert
mentation as indispensable to prog
ress in treating mans ailments.
DR.. A. C. Ivy of Chicago, known
for his research on gastric cancer,
said antivivisectionist campaigns
point a dagger at the heart of
medical research He is chairman
OF the aSsembly's special section on
research.
The resolution adopted by the 80
scientists participating in the dis
cuSsion said the provision of funds
for research in medicine and other
sciences would be negated if the
humane use of animals. such as
mice, guinea pigs, monkeys and
dogs, for experimental purposes,
should be restricted in any way"
Three Steps Cited.
Medical knowledge is usually
gained in three steps the group
said: BY experiments in test tubes,
then by experiments on animals
and, finally, by applying the results
to man.
Most of the knowledge we possess
today regarding the function of the
organs of the body, nutrition, and
the prevention and control of dis
ease has resulted from animal ex-
Fermentation" the resolution said.
The control of such diseases as
diabetes, smallpox, pellagra, perni-
cious anemia, scurvy, ricketts,, beri
beri, diphtheria, typhoid and thy
roid diseases was derived from ex-
periments on animals. The same
is true for the use of penicillin and
sulpha drugs"
Operations Perfected.
The resolution pointed out that
practically every surgical operation
performed today was perfected on
animals before 1t was tried on
humans. The new operation for the
treatment of blue babies" was first
tried on dog before being tried
on human child. the resolution
said. and continued:
The average length of life has
been extended from 35 to Sc years
and some 50,000000 people in our
country owe their lives to the ap-
plication to man of discoveries
made on animals during the past
century.
AS to the future. any increase in
knowledge regarding the control or
cure OF cancer, heart disease, hard
enlng of the arteries, high blood
pressure, rheumatism, peptic ulcer.
will depend largely on the humane
use OF animals in university and
medical research laboratories.
Sees Surplus of Workers.
Earlier DR.. Theodore G. Klumpp
OF New York had told the full
assembly that the Nation will have
surplus Of 100000 workers by
1880 if the span of life continues
to be prolonged.
Instead of forcing men to retire
when they reach a certain age
which he termed unfair, he sug-
geSted other means be found to
adjust the supply of workers to jobs.
Il venture to say I will live to see
30-hour week in industry" he said.
He said people are living longer
now than ever before in the worlds
history He said the Journal of the
Institute of Actuaries reported the
case of Dane who lived to be 146
years old in the 18th century.
oohAislS, lie Sdlu IldI IL one man
can live as full life as this Danes
was reported to have been, there is
no reason why science cannot make
1t possible eventually for many more
OF us to marry at Ill, propose and
be accepted at 100 and live to be
l46."
This, he said. would certainly add