372 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



But beyond all that wliicli the physician can accomplish as the 

 friend and expert adviser of the sick in whom, first of all, his 

 allegiance centers, as the student of all things which promise help 

 in his fight against disease, as the friendly teacher ever mindful 

 that prevention is better than cure, and as one who toils for Sci- 

 ence for her sake alone beyond all these high offices there is yet 

 another upon whose duties he must now more seriously enter, if 

 he would hope to realize all that which our new outlooks promise. 

 I speak of the duties of citizenship. 



Municipal and State health organizations have accomplished 

 much of late in the protection of the people against disease. But 

 the humiliating confession must be made that in many measures 

 of public sanitation in this country we are far behind the require- 

 ments of science. This is not, as a rule, because our health officers 

 do not know what to do or how to do. It is not usually because 

 they are indifferent or negligent. But in many cases the pitiful 

 sacrifice of life and the inexpressible suffering and loss which pre- 

 ventable disease involves are due to legislative indifference or 

 folly. 



I am aware that there are many exceptions, but I think that I 

 am not mistaken when I say that among the measures vital to the 

 public welfare over which our legislators. State and Federal alike, 

 wrangle and bicker and deal when these are not treated with 

 indifference and contempt, as not contributory to the profit or to 

 the disgraceful notoriety of the hour there are none which more 

 often fail of intelligent consideration than those which concern 

 the public health. 



But laymen in public office can not be regarded alone at fault 

 if they be not wisely directed ; and physicians are not, I think, as 

 keenly alive in this way as they should be to their responsibili- 

 ties as citizens. They know what ought to be done in the larger 

 public way to render the new knowledge in sanitation and the 

 control of disease available, and yet do not individually or as a 

 guild bring their expert knowledge strongly to bear as the intelli- 

 gent citizen always can, if he be right and enough in earnest. 



There is little doubt that almost any legislative measure which 

 the medical profession unites and persists in urging as essential 

 to the maintenance of the public health can be speedily secured. 



I know that there is a general feeling among physicians of the 

 better sort that conspicuous interest in public affairs may be mis- 

 construed and looked upon as in some sort a means of professional 

 advertisement. And one can not choose but appreciate and ad- 

 mire the sensitiveness and high sense of honor of which this senti- 

 ment is born. But, after all, there are greater misfortunes in life 

 than being misunderstood, and I think that the fine feeling which 

 leads the physician so often to waive the privileges of social and 



