BODY-CURE: SOUL-CURE

NZ Truth, 15 March 1924, Page 4

BODY-CURE : SOUL-CURE

SALARIES FOR CLERGY, WHY NOT I FOR DOCTORS? . Considering the changes m society generally, the professions of theology, medioine, and law have been little aU tered by the hand of time. But the hour is coming when one of them at least will undergo profound modifications. And that one is medicine. As the three professional pillars of society, the theologian, the doctor, and the lawyer have a past for outranging the comparatively modern scientific, and quasi-scientific professions that now abound. Among his own following, the theologian is still "hedged round with divinity." But of the others mankind no longer stands m any sort of superstitious awe. j: :: ' :; Medicine and law are, it is true, hedged round with historic organisations, but on close analysis these organisations seem to be remarkably akin to the trade unionism that has become an unromantic fact of the world of labor. :: :: :: No trade union Is more keen on seeing that everybody m its trade must work within its own narrow rules than , Is the British Medical Association. And certainly no trade union clothes its proceedings, and particularly its internal discipline, m greater secrecy. Consider that bar on advertising. If a number of professional men — medical or otherwise — mutually agreed not to advertise, and treated advertising rivals with contempt, relying on the public's preference for non -advertisers, no stone could be thrown at such an attitude. :i :: :; Instead of that, medical men are so jealous of one another's public activities, and so afraid of the financial consequences thereof, that the newspapers are not even allowed to publish preannouncemente m their news columns of the names of doctors who are to give public addresses on public questions. :: :: :t The Jealousy with which the rank and file of trade unions are supposed to watch the operations of strenuous and successful Individuals m their trade might well find inspiration m the elaborate care with which many doctors try to prevent some doctors from securing slight incidental publicity. :: :: : : Another point of resemblance is that when one doctor (or one trade unionist) fractures the rules (or even, In oases, tho law) it is not easy to get another doctor (or another unionist) to tell tales out of school. * .. Trade unionists can appreciate this sort of thing, and may even admire it greatly; but they, and the public m general, yet regard it with a shrewd understanding that has not so far pervaded the general view of theology. Perhaps the theologians' turn will come. Side by side with this struggle among the doctors themselves — a struggle which, m its more sordid phases, must evidently be related to bawbees — there proceeds a wonderful cult of altruism and an admirable devotion to public service. : : : : : : The principle of preventive medicine, to which the best men ln tho medical profession are loyal, and which could not have developed even to its present stage without tholr aid, is one of tho finest examples of solfless enthusiasm that can bo credited to any profession m any age. Provontlvo medicine offers limitless possibilities to man, who is to-day moro interested m tho euro of his body than of his soul (though Hlcksonlsm tries to unlto the two, and Coueißtn throws a suggestive psychological sidelight). Whether the means bo spiritual, mental, or physical— or all three — man seeks primarily bodily health. : : t « And ln preventive medicine man sees — or thinks he sees — his chanco of bodily health, unbrought by doctors' fci>3, and unattended by pain and sickness. But what can a doctor foresee m preventive medicine Have loss fees and ultimately no foes? Yet lt Is tho i-'i-eat minds of medicine that aro blazing tho truck.

Suppose for argument's sake, that the living of many doctors ia precarious. Suppose that this fact accounts for much of their trade unionistlc conduct, Tho more indebted, then, should the world be to a profession that further curtails ita own chances of employment by showing tho world how to co-operate m a scheme of preventive medicine that will leave some doctors — perhaps many — without a living? «: :t s: Will a way out be found by making j the medical service ultimately a salar--1 led service? Is the present salaried service of the Health Department a nucleus of a bigger State service to come? :: :: :s , . ■ There is some indication that the Health Departmental service has reached a stage of growth at whioh it falls between two stools. It Is too big to do nothing (m the masterly way m which some publio functionaries do | nothing). And it is too small to do all that is before it. :: xx v The inherent evils of nationalisation are not new, but the question of a nationalised medical service is not new either, and various sane authorities have advocated the latter without being daunted by the former. Do not the hospitals themselves constitute already a big step towards nationalisation? :: :: :: To-day the hospital problem is unsolved, and it is growing m intensity. Did not the Medical Congress m Auckland include among its delegates one of the famous Mayo brothers, who run one of the finest hospitals (the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, N.J., U.S.A.), m the world, and who are themselves on salary? Ji l| H The hospital problem is growing because the cost of specialised plant and of specialists (example: radiation and radiologists) ls mounting up, and because it is becoming a great socialeconomic problem how to provide the people with the best that modern medical science offers, at fees that are not prohibitive. 11 ii What greater provocation of social unrest can there be than the inability of the people to buy cures? Dots not the remedy lie m substituting, as far as possible, prevention for cure? And can this be done without putting the dootors — both m their preventive and m their curative work— on the basis of an assured living? :: xx it Can tho life of man and the livelihood of the doctor be left much longer In the hands of medical trade unionism, and at the mercy of a system of fee-charging under which the chief pecuniary loss falls on the more honest patient and on the more .generous practitioner? i: :: it We stress again the Importance of this question from a social unrest point of view. From that nngle politicians and capitalists should study it closely. Tho welfare of the common people and of one of tho leading branches of tho "Intellectuals" ls at stake. No society that victimises worker or doctor — or both — can prosper. :: :: :t A recognition of this fact by thc rich men of the United States has caused aa extraordinary number of big private bequests to go into hospital undertakings, m whloh the poor are more or less recognised; yet all these are not enough. , " xx :: it Hore In New Zealand thoro are not so many millions to spare. And rich men who . havo thousands to spare aro .sufficiently near-sighted to be niggardly. New Zealand must find some better way. There must be somo organic reform, m which tho medical profession must alter, but not to Its detriment. : : : : n For oenturies the oure of man's soul and of his soul-oaso has bean dominated by the doctors — theological and medical. The preventive idoa is not now, but its praotical progress is new. Prevention presupposes co-operation. And sinco theology is still a bit hazy, for goodness sake lot us push on with the co-operative idea m the profession that seems moat ready to receive it— tho profession of medicine.

FEELING THEIR WAY. "Look's like as if we are never going to have any more war, 'Truth.' Isn't it fine? And we don't have to bother a bit about protecting the gateway to the Pacific, either." "Is that so! We suppose you are referring to the British Labor Party's policy m regard to the Singapore base?" "Yes, that's so. Isn't it lovely to think that we can trust all the foreigners m the world like brothers? What a great idea it is to be sure." "Yes, the idea's great — but just how it works out m practice is the matter to be considered."

"Oh, It's quite all right, 'Truth'; the British Labor Party know what they are doing m regard to the Singapore base project and Ramsay Macdonald has given Mars the bullet," "Do you really think that that is all to it?" "Well, not exactly. Of course they may be only feeling their way to see if the Dominions really want to be protected and also to find out how much they aro prepared to pay towards their protection." "That's getting nearer the mar.k." RESERVED RAILWAY SEATS. "Are you satisfied with the way our railways are conducted?" "Oh, well," we replied, "possibly there is room for improvement m some divisions, but on the whole they are not bad under the circs." "True, 'Truth'; ,I'm usually pretty satisfied with them myself on the whole, but the other day I experienced something that stuck m my mind." "Wouldn't the train' wait for you?" "Worse than that, 'Truth. I had to forsake the Corner for a day and go up the Taranaki line. Well, when I was returning the train got pretty full as we got down the line and every available seat was occupied. . I had my eye upon a couple of vacant seats which had reserve tickets upon them, and began to wonder when the owners were going to get on and claim them. As there were others standing I got curious and took a glance at those tickets; and, believe me, 'Truth,' those reserved tickets were dated the previous day and were for passengers travelling from Wellington to New Plymouth — the opposite direction to that m which we were going." "Too bad; but that must be an isolated caße." "Maybe; but who knows?" BAD MANNERS. "What are you m such a bad temper for this morning? Did you miss with that last Tatt's ticket?" "Neither, 'Truth.' I'm simply dlsgUßted with some of my fellow men." "And what have they been doing? Hob somebody beaten you for your best girl, or trod on your toes m the tram?" "As a matter of fact what I'm going to talk about does happen on the trams and it's time that the filthy act was put a stop to." "Yes." ■

"It's this 'Truth.* I was unfortunate enough to get a seat behind an uncouth male whose chief pastime was spitting — hy expectorated at least seven times to the section between puffs of th£ most evll-smelllng pipe I have ever known." "Not ln tjho car, wo hope?" "No, not ih the car directly, but tho backwash oir whatever you might call It was spr4yed all over mo and the continuance of this beastly habit caused me to enift pv seat." "Why didn't you tell the conductor about it?" , "Well, the ignorant one thought ho was doing ;the right thing In spitting out of the car, but he might havo had tho common decency to duck his wooden heud a bit and have a bit of respect for tho othor passengers." "We ogreo, but you can't make a silk pureo out of a sow's ear." RAMPANT RED TAPE. Wo couldn't stop tho man chuckling when he told this one. He was s>o bluo In thc face that we thought he would cross the bonier m an apoplectic, lit — a wreath or a cross would be up to us. then — but he recovered his composure spmclcnly to becomo intolllglble. "Oh, 'Truth,' it's a corker — a friend ln a village where they've acquired a new inspector of police from one of tho cities told me, You see, there waa a collision between a motor and a milk cart, and the milk cart, or rather the poor neddy, got tho worst of it. In fact, hj was so bad that hlB leg waa broken, and as he lay In agony it waa decided that there was nothing to do but put him out of misery." "Holy Hmoke!" we ejaculated. "There's nothing In that to cauno so much merriment!" "Well, no, 'Truth.' but needless to say t was not thinking of tho poor prad, It was the sequel. The quickest way to deal with tho situation wa« a method rendered somewhat difficult by the Arms Act, and the humano by-

standers, not having a gun, were at a loss. Just then a policeman happenened along, and seeing the position, volunteered to get a revolver from the station, which was not far away. He was as good as his word, and the horse's suffering was quickly • ended by a well-aimed shot." "Well, the policeman acted very sensibly; but we fail to see " "Half a mo, Impatience! Just as Dobbin's soul started on its way to the equine Valhalla, and the smoke was curling, from his deliverer's gun, up rushed a breathless police clerk. 'Just been sent over by the inspector,' he gasped. "Looking for you everywhere, couldn't find you. Want you to get the Magistrate and have ,a permit signed before you use a gun m the public street. Says it's against the regulation .' But the policeman interrupted him. 'Sorry for the inspector and his book of regulations—you're too late!'" We had to laugh , especially when the Man capped his story with the information that the Magistrate was at the time three hours away, inquesting. A "WELL.PAID" CLERK. "Did you notice, the other day that the Chief Justice reckoned a man with a wife and two children was 'well paid' as a clerk at £4/12/6 a week?" observed the Man at the Corner as tie blew m. "Yes, we noticed it all right," we replied. "In fact we reported it" "Well, spare, me days, but he said 'well paid,' not adequately paid, or enough to live on, or something like that, but 'well paid.' Now that is worth noting, 'Truth.' It will just show you what a hopeless way the young fellow is m who is allowed to grow to manhood without learning a trade. This chap was a clerk, and had the frill to keep up that goes with a clerkship, and m the opinion of the Chief Justice he is 'well paid' at £4/12/6 a week." "Yes, those are the sort of object lessons that must show parents the ultimate futility of putting a boy into an office— and skiting about it, too— instead of letting him learn a good solid trade which may not leave his j hands lily-\vhite, but which will eventually make him a man worth a pound a day who will never have to go cap m hand to anyone for a job." MERCILESS SALESMANSHIP. "Yes, for shrewdness, 'Truth,' you can't beat the young urchin of the streets, and I'll tell you where you see him at his best." "You ought to know. Is it at the corner?"

"No, it's at the musto halls with those confounded lolly baskets. Talk about a salesman having to know the right moment to talk business; thoy know it all right. They know this also, and that is that every young joker dreads the thought that his girl maythink him mean, and they drive the lads Into all sorts of excesses. Even In the cheap seat 3 they've got their baskets loaded with boxes up to five* shillings apiece." "Yes, but you're not obliged to buy them, you know." "No, you're not obliged to, but It's the next best thing. In cornea a young chap with a new girl. Into reserved seats they go, and he's Just finished fussing about with the coats and is wondering what to say when the lolly boy presents himself on the girl's side, with tho basket thrust on to her lap. It Is useless for her to say 'No thank you. sonny'; he knows more than that. What. Is the escort to do? It ls unthinkable that his girlie go lollyless, so 'how much are they, son'? he inquires. This is where the lad scores tho k.o. 'Oh, these are 2/6, and these things here are 1/G,' he saya with a deprecating inflection about the latter goods. Then bang goes 2/6." THE END OF THE HERO "Things were very different years ago on the Corner,'' said the Man thoughtfully. "Very different." . "Well, the times change." "Yes, they do all right. To-day, for Instance, there are many more accidents on dangerous corners and crossings than there used to be, and practically no chances for tho daring, dashing hero." "But surely tho youthful ambition of rescuing damsels ln danger doesn't trouble you any longer." "It doesn't exactly, but I go to the movies fairly often, and it makqs me sigh for the Corner of 20 years ago, with Its runaway horses, carts and cabs. One rush Into the roadway, one wild leap at tho dangling reins, and a. hero was made." "But surely thoro is still scope for heroism on the Corner.'' "Very littlo 'Truth.' It's absolutely impossible to stop a travelling motor truck by grabbing it by tho bonnet. As you say, tho times have changed." MUSIC IN THE CHURCH. "Went to Church tho other Sunday, 'Truth'; first timo for a long time." "We aro glad to sco you fulfilling your spiritual obligations." "Funny thing, though, 'Truth,' 1 wasn't Impressed with the music there." "But Church music ls UHuully very fine." "Not no on this occasion. Suppose lt was fine after a fashion; but tho dignitaries had apparently tried thc modern method of attracting the parishioners to attend, and Instead of just tho usual soft, soothing harmony of tho organ, there was an orchestra — violin and all. Of course the mußlclans confined themselves strictly to wiercd selections, but the atmosphere was not the name, and thoro was a KUgKestlon of artificiality about thc whole thing — Just because of the music. That's how It impressed me, anyhow." "And did It draw a crowded Church?" "No; there wore about half a dozen people there, and I learned that thc congregation was waning. Church la Church. 'Truth."