THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23086, 31 July 1940, Page 14

THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY

TO THB SOTTOB 9* THB PEESS. Sir—Dr. Cox is on right lines in advocating that the State should pay still more attention to P r evention n £ '.disease One. must recognise, _ now ever that to 1 get progress in disease mctWS, the liberty or the people must be' Curtailed to a certain extent But all legal enactments arc in a sense interference with liberty. The good of the greater number wust always influenceme rulers in such matters as these. The ideal, of course, is individualism, tet that each head of a family should be persuaded that certain diets habits, ete- are necessary to obtam the best health in his children. Can we get the parenis to react to persuasion? It will never do for each father to be a law unto himself, as then chaos would jtagn and no progress could possibly he made. Therefore a certain amount oT compulsion is necessary, to obtain tte best results. It is far better to give 'children ; a good start medically and .dentally than to attempt to cure disease; when it arises. ‘ . *This will - mean the education of a fairly large body of medical men in work of prevention of disease, and who: can advise the guardians of chud‘hen hiow the best health can be obtained? The advice must have the ■ authority Government behind it; otherwise.it means an incrdase in the number of State medi- i for this purely preventive type of;:*tpeatment. ,, 'VAs&r as this is concerned, ! support Cor most heartily. The duration i Skm&hmfdioßl»mio9 toe&m** i

ment of disease is quite another matter. Personally, I think this will come after the war, and it will, probably, be better than some of us think ,at present—Yours, etc., M.D. July 29,1940.