WHAT MEDICINE HAS DONE AND IS DOING FOR THE RACE 43 1 



Specialism. During the same period the intensive study 

 of diseases of certain parts of the body, such as the eye, 

 the throat, the nose and ear, the genitourinary organs, 

 and the skin, to mention a few only of the numerous speci- 

 alties, has greatly increased the efficiency of the heahng 

 art, for sudb speciahsts acquire a degree of technical skill 

 which is otherwise impossible. In addition to the instances 

 just mentioned the benefit derived from prolonged 

 experience in manipulative and dehcate operative pro- 

 cedures is seen in some other branches of surgery, such as 

 orthopedics and plastic operations by which deformities 

 and cripphng due to congenital malformations, injury or 

 disease are remedied. The utihzation of natural agencies in 

 the treatment of disease and disabiHty has been much 

 extended; thus rest, fresh air, and sunhght (hehotherapy) or, 

 when the latter is not available, artificially produced ultra- 

 violet rays, have largely superseded the previous routine 

 surgical methods in tuberculous disease of bone and joints. 

 Massage and re-education by exercises and gymnastics in old 

 injuries, particularly in stiff joints, though not unknown to 

 the Greeks and Romans, have been much expanded. Treat- 

 ment by baths, douches and sprays (hydrotherapy), long 

 employed at spas, has been elaborated and is being placed on 

 a more scientific basis much to the advantage of patients 

 with chronic arthritis and allied affections. 



THE BENEFITS FROM KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAUSES OF DISEASE 



By recognizing the existence of separate diseases (diag- 

 nosis) in the first place, and then discovering their 

 respective causes (disposing and immediate or directly 

 responsible) medicine has supplied the means for their 

 prevention or, if it is too late for this, for their cure or relief. 

 An accurate knowledge of this branch of medical science 

 (etiology) is essential for any but the empirical, namely 

 that derived from experience, treatment. 



The disposing causes of disease render the individual 

 liable to contract an illness, such as influenza, which he 

 might otherwise escape; thus an unhealthy environment, 

 such as foul air, working in ill-ventilated rooms, improper 

 food, alcoholism, worry, insufficient sleep and exercise, 



