496 PEDIATRICS 



should be recommended for certain diseases like diphtheria and 

 scarlatina, this should only be done as regards the much milder 

 measles and varicella which attack almost every one, in so far as one 

 tries to guard the individual as far as possible from getting the dis- 

 ease at a time or age in which a lessened power of resistance or a 

 tendency to complication exists. After the sixth or seventh year this 

 is as a rule not the case, while on the contrary in adult life measles 

 not infrequently takes a severe course (Biedert). 



The immunity acquired by passing through certain infectious 

 diseases is an integral part of that power of resistance which man 

 should acquire in the course of childhood. With this item is also to 

 be classed obligatory vaccination. 



Thus every period of childhood brings new and important neces- 

 sities for the carrying-out of individual prophylaxis, and these might 

 be multiplied without difficulty. The main point is the constant and 

 careful watching over the course of the child's life during the whole 

 but especially during the first period of growth, the care and further- 

 ing of normal development according to the sentence "medicus non 

 sit magister sed minister naturae; " therefore in detail the taking 

 care of those backward in development, improvement of the already 

 developed functions, special protection of the rapidly growing organs, 

 prevention of the tendencies to acquired or inherited diseases, pro- 

 tection from injurious agencies, especially infections. Disease with 

 which the medical care generally begins is here to a certain extent 

 a failure of preventive care, an interruption disturbing the normal 

 process of development. In this sense the physician to whom the 

 child is trusted becomes the friend and indispensable adviser of the 

 family in all matters affecting the bringing-up of the child, provided 

 they know how to appreciate the unselfish character of his work. I 

 admit that nowadays this function of the pediatrist is employed only 

 exceptionally and under particularly favorable conditions, and that 

 even in the future only a limited number of families will have it 

 accessible. But why at the close of a century which has shown such 

 unexpected results should we hesitate to place individual prophy- 

 laxis, based on raising the power of resistance and avoidance of 

 diseases, as the ideal aim of our efforts? 



The picture of modern pediatrics would be incomplete if I were not 

 to mention the efforts and results which have been seen in the realm 

 of the protection of children. This was the more needed, as in many 

 countries, especially the Anglo-Germanic, the care of poor, sick, 

 and deserted children has always been left to private benevolence, 

 while in the Latin countries the orphan asylums cared for the need- 

 iest group of these children. Thus were founded the children's hospi- 

 tals and dispensaries, based on private donations, which to-day are 

 to be found in every large community. These institutions are parti- 



