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The Physician as the
Guardian of the Public Health
and
His Contributions to Charity
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have invited you to be present
tonight, that we might on this our annual meeting, bring before the
public some questions which we consider of general interest. We think
that the public should know something of our hopes, our aspirations,
our successes, and our failures, something of what our profession has
done in the past toward safeguarding the general health, and what is
now being done; as the success of our efforts depends in a great
measure upon the cooperation that we may receive from you.
The position held by the physician is to a certain extent semi-official
in that many problems concerning public health are left to his
decision, and his training and experience peculiarly fit him for this
work. Of his position as medical advisor in your family you are all
familiar. You know that where danger threatens, when life's thread
seems near to breaking, when hope weakens, how you search the
countenance of your physician for encouragement, how you hang upon his
every word for tidings to drive away your fears. You all know how
pleased he is when he can assure you that the danger is past; the
patient will recover. How many thousand times all of this is enacted
and how naturally the physician comes to be looked upon as almost a
guardian, a protector of the family. And how fortunate is that
physician, who may be thus held in the affections of his clientele, and
to feel that his efforts are so well appreciated. WeIl may he strive to
render himself more worthy of their confidence and esteem.
The physician is with you from the cradle to the grave, for disease and
death are parts of the plan of creation. We have to deal with both, and
to combat them, to prevent and lessen one and prevent the other if
possible. To stay the hand that hurls the dart that strikes but once
We consider it a large part of our mission to prevent disease, to study
the existing cause, to learn something or the life history of the germ
or infection which may be responsible for the disease. Today this
branch of medicine is called preventive medicine and it is of the
greatest important to the public in regard to general health.
We feel justified in saying that there has scarcely been ' a time since
medicine became recognized as a science which does not bear witness to
the self-sacrifice and devotion of our profession in behalf of
humanity: "In war, famine, and pestilence our brethren have always been
found" among those who suffered, "sharing their dangers .and
hardships:'
Long before, what we now know as "preventive medicine" was
systematically taught medical men in the dim light. '
They were then possessed endeavoring to find and remove the cause of
disease. We will not review their efforts or results but confine our
remarks to more recent times, though volumes could well be written of
the long and patient efforts of many of the worlds greatest minds such
as Jenner, Hunter, Harvey, Pasteur, Behring. Kock, and a many others
who with wonderful patience, great skill, and a lifetime of study have
placed milestones along the march of human progress, and all future
generations will ever revere their names and memories. They and their
successors in research, investigation, and experimentation, in
preventing diseases, have saved the world's family countless thousands
of valuable lives, and millions or wealth.
Their findings have rendered vast regions of the world fit for human
habitation where formerly disease and death' held high carnival.
Consider what would be the condition today if any of our large cities
without the benefits of sanitary services, the fruit of the brains of
these men. For how long a time would Paris, London. New York, or
Chicago, with their teeming millions of people exist, without
enforcement of the sanitary laws which embody the results of the
observations and advice of scientific medical men?
In a somewhat varied degree the same observation holds true with our
smaller towns and homesteads in the country, and 'that we do not all
perish from some form of disease is certainly not due to our observance
of sanitation, but rather to the benefits of fresh air and that we lead
an out of door life, The human family has as deadly enemies many
diseases which from their known or suspected cause, are called
preventable diseases, and filth, and bad hygienic conditions furnish
the culture medium, wherein the germs of these diseases exist and
thrive. Wherever you go you will find the medical professional
earnestly advising and always protecting against bad sanitary
conditions, and there is no doubt that were our advice followed, we
would be able to eradicate, to a large extent, many such diseases as
small pox, cholera, scarlet fever, measles, typhoid fever, 'yellow
fever, consumption, and malaria.
The study of the various preventable diseases has engaged the time and
skill of numbers of the ablest men in the past, and at the present time
a vast army of scientific investigators is waging relentless war upon
these deadly enemies of our race. To a large extent, this is a labor of
love upon the part of these men, for, the good of mankind. For the
uplifting of our noble profession, there arc no niches in the hall of
fame, but nevertheless the names will be honored and perpetuated as
benefactors:
All of this study, investigation, and experimentation in the cause,
nature and prevention of disease will avail little, unless our efforts
are aided by individual and governmental support. It is your duty to
protect your home from diseases and to do this you should demand of
your officials that sanitary laws be enforced and you should set the
examples by obeying the laws yourselves. In this way and in this way
only, can our labors bear fruit and lessen the number of sick and
prevent disease. Another point which I wish to express is that all of
this study in preventive medicine at the bedside and in the laboratory,
has been done by quiet, unassuming men in the regular profession, who
have given and are giving freely to the world the benefits of their
labors.
The men who advertise, the men who make periodical visits to your town,
and the fellow who drives from house to house in the country and
catches the farmer upon a "sure cure," have had nothing and cannot have
anything whatever to do with this work, as they are not physicians in
sentiment or ethics and should be barred from practice. Therefore it
seems a matter of common justice that you should with moral and
financial support uphold the regular profession. Your family physician
whose teachings, whose traditions, lead him to hail with joy and gladly
give to his profession whatever he may learn or discover relieve
suffering humanity.
We have made it possible to eradicate small pox by thorough and
systematic vaccination. We have by the use of the serum treatment
reduced the old mortality rate in diphtheria 50 to 75%. And by the use
of the immunizing or protecting power of the serum on those exposed to
infection to limit the number of cases thus save thousands of children
who previously to the introduction of the serum treatment who would
have fallen victims to this dreaded disease. We have banished yellow
fever from the North American continent and adjacent islands and the
time is coming when by enforcement of our sanitary laws and measures,
this disease will no more strike terror to our hearts nor demoralize
the commercial interests of half a continent. We have made substantial
advancement in other diseases along the line of preventive measures,
and are still studying
and investigating to the end that we may in time control them.
And last but not least, we are engaged in a general crusade against
"the great white plague," consumption. We now know it to be a
communicable disease, an infective disease. We now know that a
consumptive person is a menace, a danger to those around him, whether
in his own house, or on the streets or public conveyance. Our
profession is constantly pleading for care on the part of the
consumptive and his attendants that he be so con- trolled and so
control himself, that he may not infect others and thereby spread the
diseases. The study of the germ life history in the various preventable
diseases is very dangerous to the student, as many men have fallen
victims to these deadly infections. But others are ever ready to take
on the work. .
In times of great peril when deadly epidemics sweep the land, the
physician never falters nor deserts his post. Not that life is not
sweet to him, but being inspired by the example of generations of his
illustrious predecessors, duty calls and he fails not.
You remember, no doubt, the fearful epidemics of yellow fever a few
years ago which devastated the south where thousands perished in New
Orleans, Memphis, and other cities, and you remember the pathetic
appeal for help. The local physicians were worn out, sick, or dead, and
the sick were without medical attendance. "When this word went abroad,
physicians volunteered. They went from the north, east, and west to aid
suffering humanity. No crusader who with sword and shield went forth to
free the Holy City was inspired with higher, nobler purpose than were
these brave men, many of whom fell victims to their zeal and their
bodies rest today "under southern skies," their sad requiem the moaning
of the pines.
So it is in every instance, our profession knows no fear where a human
being calls for help. "We brave the summer sun and the winter's storm,
as well for the poor as for the rich. We give our time, our skill. our
money, and sometimes life itself in behalf of the poor. Our
contribution in the cause of charity exceeds that of any other class of
citizen, with us it is not a fad to give our services to the poor, nor
a solace to quiet a disturbing conscience. but it is a part of our
every day life work.
In closing I wish to introduce to you an old and very dear friend,
William MacClure, a doctor of the old school" in the Bonnie Briar Bush.
I hope that you will study him, for it: you do, you will admire him.
He' has many prototypes. They are to be found in every city, town, and
village in all this broad land. They are here tonight. They have risked
their lives often to save yours and are ready and willing to do so
again. They are your own family physicians. Some of them have grown old
and gray in your service. Their steps are feeble and their forms are
bent, when they have answered their final call, write their epitaphs as
was written that of Dr. MacClure's "Greater love hath no man than this;
that he lay down his life for his friends."
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