HEALTH AND PUBLICITY.

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1926, 26 October 1926, Page 4

HEALTH AND PUBLICITY.

/DOCTORS diffefr, as everybody knows, and in that are very human. Sir Thos. Hordhir, phiysldan-Un-dridinary to Che Prince of Wales, expresses What arte apiparentP.y the consMereidi view.& of the British Medical Association when he describes the nJawspaplers as the moat powerful medium of instructing the public in healltlh matters. IH'e adtvocafres that the doctors should secure the cooperation of thei newspa:p*ers with a vtew to the appearance of an authoritative Iheaith column in the daily press. This seems an eminently sensible idea. The more the people know attaint the laws of health, an'd thte %&£ they are instructed concerning the avoidance of disease, the more likely are thfey to attain a better standard of health all round than Ithlsly do at pro-, sent. Thlaltl popullar insitruction must be an important feature in a successful campaign \n the interests of thalt prevention, 'in relation to 'disease, which is 'bcj'itjeir tlhan quire, should, be.■sufficiently manifest. 'Sir Thomas Horder is hardly upon disputable ground in urging Itlhe value of publicity for that knowledge—or at least a certain amount of it—which is the special pos-

session of the doctors, but when he makes thla reservation Ithat the pitiss 'should not seek signed article's, he touches on a subject concerning which ccnt'iiDversy is easily provoked, namely, tha't rather curious cod)e| known as medical etiquette. In view of discussion's have taken place on Uhis topic, Ht <is not lspeoialfty surprising to find that hard upon his medical colleague comes a distinguished surgeon inten|D on administering something very like a cold idlofujchle. According to Sir W. Arbuthnot Lane, the proposal of the British 'Medical Asisodiatlon to supply medical knowledge to the newspapers is already dead. Apparently hla'warned the Associaltion that tbje editors would no[tl take it seriously and his ttone is as that of one who says, "I told you so." As fit happens, Sir Arbuthnot Lane is at loggerheads with the British Medlica! 1 . Association over this very nialtter of publicity for medical men. IHUi was recenl&ly the hero of a droll episode. His photograph appeared! on the menu-cards of a chain lof prominent tea-shops. The sj.clry of how it came to 'be there, of the measures taken to Obliterate it, and of 'Sir Arbiflthnot's not altogether satisfactory explanation to the shocked and censorious 8.M.A., from wlhlich he ha. s 'resigned, was decidedly amusing. 'The distinguished surgeon's attitude in respect o'f Ithe Medical Association's plaris Ifor publicity is explain abffle in the lig-bja of the fact that he lis an advocate of the abolition of some of the disciplinary res'trainlts upon which thi s body .sets so much store, these including tlbe rjule Ithat dbo'iors shbuld not -wiritVai signe'di articles on medical subjed,;is. A contribution to tlhis inltartesting discussion has been made by the medical secretary of the iBIMC.A., who gives 'it as his experience ithat thla .press, is not looking for the sort of news which a miedical oommitltea 'would supply, but that i't wants "sensations." lit is a matter ibr some surprise to find the attitude of Ithe preiss thus interpreted. The 8.M.A.. seems !jo b'e represented as on the defensive against newspapelrs, whidh, it is suggested, arte trying to break down the traditions of the medical profession, lit may be true enough thalt the press in the Ol'di 'Coumitry is somewhat impatient, and nojt, 'without, soniie reason, with the mledical profession loVer the stringenlt rules which present members' of the Association from wrfltiimg to the newspapers over their tfwn signatures on mattteirs of public and professional imporlt. B|u't here im New Zealand, alt. least, it may be said on behalf of the press tlhalt it is most willling to co-operate with the medical prlo'fesslon in risigard to all Ohiat reDates to ithe health of the commun!|:y and the prevention of disease. Little profit is likely to accrue from a controversy over particular aspects of the propos'al of the .BJM.A. cOineerning the disseminaition of medical informat'i'on. Medical men who hold public posiiltiion's, released as they are from some of the trammlcls which bind tlhfa practitioner, find in the newspapers a valuable alVly. Sir George Newman,, chief medical officer to the Ministry of Health at HomH', covers a great idleal of groun'di iin his reporl;, on the statla of public health for fne year 1925, and might db so to little advantage but for the wMe publicity that is accorded through the pn=ss to his statements. He demands, it Us to be noted, a closer co-operation between all Idhose who are engaged in or who are intetrestlad in the war againslt dislease. Ha points tl> a truly aational effort against disease, in vvlhich' health officers, and doctors, and citizens 'will': all take parlt, a-s a solution of lilhe present difficulties.