ORGANISE!

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 36, 11 August 1921, Page 7

ORGANISE!

FOR BETTER HEALTH

AN APPEAL BY DR. HERBERT

•iWE MUST MARSHAL OUR FORCES."

'In the last century the average life of man has been increased fifteen years; as much more could - be added in the next twenty years if, the facts now in our possession were effectively employed."—Dr. W. Mayo. ' , The thorough co-operation and organisation of the forces of good health was the keynote struck by Dr. W. E. Herbert in an addresß on .."Prevention of Disease,"- delivered at the Red Cross rooms last evening. He referred to the numerous sectional conferences which discussed the health of the people. Regarding these, he said he had no intention of belittling the usefulness of conferences held by medical men, educational authorities, industrial associations, or political bodies to discuss the question of health as each saw it from its own point of view. "Much good springs from these meetings," he said, "but I maintain that still more would be derived from the organisation for a convention of health composed of delegates from all and each of separate sections. Thus the question of health could be discussed from the point of view of all, that is, from the point of view of the public." WANTED: MUTUAL UNDER-" STANDING. After reading the quotation set out at the head of this report, Dr. Herbert proceeded to discuss the parts which should be played by the Health Department, the medical practitioners, the hospitals, the genera) public, and the press —forces which could be effectively employed if a mutual understanding existed among them. "We will never sue-, ceed in our battle against disease," he said, "unless we marshal the forces of health in a more orderly, manner, allotting to each section its appropriate work, and affording each the t/pportunit'y of doing the maximum amount of > good., I ask for nothing revolutionary. We have at our command to-day all the machinery for a considerable improvement in the health of the people, if properly organised under capable leadership. The present methods of guerrilla warfare are, however, doomed to fail. One'might as well expect protection from an outside enemy if the Navy was mainly run by private enterprise without efficient central control and, co-ordin-ation." ABOVE PARTY Dealing, first of all, with the Health Department, Dr. Herbert safd : "On the leadership depends success or failure. You aie all aware that in this country the portfolios of Education and Public Health are held by the same Minister. This is as it should be, for through the portals of a sound educational structure will emerge the forces of good health, and the successful architect of the former may assume the leadership of the latter with all confidence. That leadership must demonstratei those qualifications .which real education can alone bestow. Hie must be a thorough know. | '.edge of the essentials of the great national 'work with which he is entrusted. 'We pride ourselves,' writes Dr. Mayo, 'on our advancing civilisation and superiI <irity. If we are to continue to.advaribe the Public Health service must be made 'the first function of the State.' That being so, is it too much to expect that in the near future the leaders (Of all political thought will unite together in an endeavour to evolve a public health policy, elevated above party differences, and freed, as far' as possible, from tie •' obvious disadvantages of .frequent Ministerial change?" THE MEDICAL PROFESSION. As far as the medical practitioners were concerned,. Dr. Herbert quoted Sir Henry littlejohn, who stated that no public health department could hope for success without a system of co-operation of members of tile medical profession. This should be aimed at, and it should also be borne in mind that the medical man in general practice had the best facilities for carrying out research work. The development of research work was one of the most important factors, and to that end the profession should be organised in such a way as would give the most useful results, that would increase' the knowledge of disease, and to enable the forces'to fight it more effectively. THE PUBLIC AND THE PROFESSION. The attitude of the general pubhc towards the medical profession and on | matters concerning preventive medicine was often most perplexing, and had been the subject of much controversy. On that subject Dr. W. Mayo wrote:— "lDdivnd 7ually, no man is respected] more than the .physician. Collectively, doctors are often looked upon as a nuisance, because, in season and out of season, they tay to advance public health measures, to reduce sickness, and, obviously, to, reduce the number of their patients. Such unusual acts of philanthropy are very apt to be viewed with suspicion by the general public, and pars tteulariy by legislators who fail to understand why a man should destroy his means of earning a livelihood. Moreover, tfae public does not wish to be disturbed', or to ba forced into the nridst of health, to dwell; upon t - the unpleasant-,, ness of sickness, such as tie man who is irritated by being awakened in the middle of the night by a disturbance in tine street. At the time he caires little what the cause may be, even if he is to be eventually benefited. Thus it is that | the medical man in his efforts to secure I health measures for the prevention of disease, is not only treated with, indifference, but also'is often vigorously opposed by the public and by legislators. The public may b« always generously I enlisted to remedy existing evil to prevent some future evil . . . ." EVERYBODY CAN HELP. "I do not altogether agree •with the suggestion implied in the latter half of Dr. Mayo's statement," commented Dr. Herbert. "The public does not always assist because it is not told how to do so. I feel quite confident that once the bulk of the public is thoroughly educated to the enormous possibilities of preventive measures, and the great benefits to 'be derived from the same, the authorities could rely on a vast army of willing helpers. As long as we keep the public more or lee* ignorant, so long must we expect apathy. There ia no one in this room to-night, who cannot help, nor is there any section of, th« public which, under instruction, can' fail to perform daily some act of improvement for the health of the people. TEACHING HEALTH IN THE SCHOOLS. "One of the most important functions of the medical inspectors of schools is to instruct the school-teachore hi matters concerning fcho health of the children. When this has been acwanplished we will have in the teaching profession a force, If given the proper opportuniU»i capable at gsetter pvwbifttMc fil

teaching the principles of good health than any other section of the lay public. Let me quote Dr. Mayo again: 'Of all co-operative enterprises public health ie the most important, and gives {he greatest returns. To obtain necessary reform we must depend on the education of the public' Surely no one has better opportunities of commencing that education, and few more capable of doing so, than our school-' teachers. It U of no uee.to tell me that our school curriculum is too overcrowded to permit of health mattera being introduced. I know it it is too overcrowded. To overcrowd our lives is one of the real tendencies towards ill-health to-day, nevertheless room must be found for the foundation of our greatest national assets-good health.; THE LAST REFUGE. . , "The necessity for a large and costly hospital servfee must Toe considered, the last refuge of incompetent public health policy," abated Dr. Herbert. "J>. . Mayo says: 'Certainly 50 per cent, of all sickness.is preventable, and it is the duty of the State to guard the health of ita -oitizene through the prevention ot . disease. The people should be mad©- to •. understand that the State is culpable if its citizens aj:e allowed .to .beconip, ill through manifest neglect.' -Such-a-statement as that, coming aa it does from? one of the world's leading 'meSi;; cal authorities, is worthy of serious.: consideration from all sections of the public, and I maintain that it is only by the leaders of progressive thought of all sections—educational, medical,* economic, industrial, and administrative-1-'.', getting together on this great subject, - that we will get unity of action and useful progress. At present our pubUC; hospitals are of interest chieflj; to the sick amongst our poor and labouring ■ classes on the one hand, and.the rate-' payers and taxpayers on the other.; •An appeal for better understanding between ■ these Wo sections to their mutual benefit is made by Dr. Mayo, from which: I quote the following: The.'bpsic fabric, of the partnership between. Capital, and ■ Labour is a contented industrial- com-' munity of healthy, well-housed, properly clothed, and properly fed.■ceopie, who* possess atMeast some of the advantages every intelligent citizen desires for himself and his family.' . -„" , "THE MORE .WORTHY OBJECT."'': "I like to think that in the above .remarks Dr. Mayo conveys a'message of hope that through the medium., of .good, health we may be enabled to -attain- «■•■ more correct perspective of" ourf real " value to one another; ' If; the,''mutual,'.", confidence' in a 'successful partnership^; <■ could be obtained, surely the sound. - business sense of the so-called "capitalist'.^ would enable him to devise the way•".. and means of diverting a considerable • portion of the rates and taxes he at pre- ' sent pays to hospital maintenance to .the more worthy object of keeping his em--ployees from the necessity of requiring hospital treatment, 'Health insurance,' says Dr. Mayoj 'is sound doctrine if wisely administered, but; unfortunately it is. not based on the idea of keeping the workman in Health but rather on caring for him when he is sick.' On the other hand, education and mutual confidence would surely enable the working man to show a better return for his work with.the hope t< of improved prospects, compared with', the. poor philanthropy we offer him to-day of an old- . age pension and a bed in the'public hospital. Be that as it may, a fruitful cause of ill-health amongst our. labouring classes is the mental'and physical fatigue, brought on the monotonous routine, of a life of manual labour, without the stimulus of' clearly seeing some definite respite and sure reward. I feel sure that in the future a better understanding of all classes will enable our hospitals to become less and less curative institutions, and more and more centres for the early detection.of disease, and the dissemination of knowledge regarding its prevention. INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. The influence of the .Medical School of our New Zealand University in any organised attempt to combat disease if very important. Theirs is, t the responsibility of 'turning out medical practitioners capable of the greatest assistance. Fortunately, I believe pur University authorities are "keenly alive to their responsibilities, and already movements are on foot to lengthen the medical, curriculum, and in other practical ways endeavours are being made-to turn out a young medical graduate more fully qualified to undertake the responsible duties he owes" to the public. In my opinion, the foundation of medical knowledge given at our school in Dunedin is a sound and practical one. This is borne oat by the fact that most of our medical graduates find little difficulty in afterwards obtaining the highest degrees from older Universities in other parts of the world. Even better results could be obtained with more public sympathy and support. Like all other young institutions, it can hardly be expected to be equipped; as fully as it might We for its important mission. I know of no way that those benevolently inclined and capable of doing so can assist a greater number of their fellow citizens than by helping to so equip our Medical School as to enable it to fully prosecute its * researches in the pre\ention of disease. PRESS ALREADY CAPTURED.' "No list of the forces of medical organisation regarding the prevention of disease is complete without reference to the unrivalled opportunities of the press," concluded Dr. Herbert. "After;, my evidence before the Hospital ComzniKsion one-newspaper quoted me as say— ing that all we had to do was to 'capt" ture the press.' That I believe quita urrecessary, they are already captured. If the press to-day does not use the full influence it is capable of, the fault is not theirs but ours. I am_ quite convinced , that if the press was shown the national ' importance of the work, and was giventhe adequate information, they wonld start a propaganda far-reaqhing and bereficial ir> ; its results." >