“TRAGIC BANKRUPT FUTILITY”

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 378, 9 March 1937, Page 2

“TRAGIC BANKRUPT FUTILITY”

Dr. Ulric Williams Attacks Medical Profession.

(To the Editor)

Sir,-—I solicit, with the single in-’ centive of urgent public necessity, your . co-operation in placing before

the people, considerations vitally affecting our welfare.

I ask you to permit somewhat extensive quotation from the British Medical Journal's report to the Dr Isaac Gilchrist lecture deliver, d before the University of Aberdeen on November 12 last year, by Robert Hutchison, MB; LL.D., F.R.C.P., Consulting Physician to the London Hospital, and to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children Dr Hutchison is an acknowledged authority; so that his many remarkable kdmlMlbM are the more arresting

With the Medical Conference in Weliingten, the time is ripe to focus attention upon the barrenness of offl cial expedient;' and to indicate more fruitful resource. ' , Dr Hutchison says-—“ The first fmpresaion that any surrey of the preri sent aspect of medical science must product, is one of confusion. An' im-

mense amount of investigation into the causes and ■ treatmen l of disease, will-be found going on: but too-often it is ill-conceived, arid with the retult that much so-called research, is a mere beating of the atr—form of solemn trifling wastefill, alike of time and money. This &»fae'cn is reflected in medical pub-. tWtiohs which have become exfX/sfve In.number; and often so hivti--meet■’■lised that their very termln-, oldjfy’ is only-tq be understood by the Initiated; full of facts and tic.ns, - but- -poor in ideas, in firtile hypotheses and in helpful generalisations. We find the same disorder In the application of medical science td' practice, for in thle country ah least, qur -health services show a chaotic mixture of individualism and socialiaakr of commerce, charity, and State aid," ’ - ’ ? '

; -A euffieiently'searching Indictment if there vfere nothing more damning to follow:—“I am of opinion that the improvement in the public health that could bq effected by Improved nutrition', and particularly by an increased consumption of the so-called protective foods la hot likely to be as is often anticipated.” Dr Hutohisqn’s admission of Ignorant of the effect of wrong feeding Is .certainly .candid; .but .a -more sxtfqordinary ; statement ImmedShtely fellows:—“Physical education is deslghOd to Improve the physique, to strengthen muscle, and to correct deformities, It aimt also at making the body a more efficient servant of the mind; and at the development of mental capacity and character. That vilely directed, it is capable of doing these; things, there can be no doubt ; but It must be remembered that there is ho very deflnit- corelation between a well trained body, and immunity to disease; and there is reason to ex-

pect .that, physical education will do more for happiness and character, than for health. “Ttte chief killing diseases - among afluTUt in the country, are, cardio- •• aschlar affections, and .their conseciuencea -cancer, , pneumenia and bronchitis, renal diseasand tuberculusls. And against none of These.

except the last, can the above, or any other preventive measures-, at preeent, do much.”

The orthodox ineptitude, when confronted with these easily pneventible consequences of wrong living!:— “The killing diseases, however, are not those which p roduce most invalidity, for the chief causes of certified incapacity are found to be influenza, and upper respiratory affections, rheumatism, dyspepsia, and minor infections of the skin. These, dlong with accidents, account for about three-quarters of the sickness among the insured. Now, it would be idle to suppose that preventive m f dicine can do much against these conditions at present, or that it is likely to be able to do much in the immediate future.”

Yet immunity from such conditions is a natural consequence of right living:—“What share preventive medicine has had in the spectacular fall in infant mortality, it would be difficult to say; but it is probable that economic factors, smaller families, the invention of dried milk, and the replacement of the horse by the motor, have had as much to do with it as the work of welfare centres." (A truly amazing assertion).

“It-is arguable that a diminution of neo-natal deaths, those due to infection excepted, triould be a doubtful blessing, for many of the surviving children would probably prove to be defective, either physically or mentally, or both." (Not If the parents lived healthily).

“The general ipractiitloner, of course, cam, and does advise individual patients as to the best means of preserving their health; but there it little beyond this he can do. It is futile to expect him to preach to all and sundry general rules of health, for in the first place there are no such rules, which are universally applicable, and in the second place, the practitioner would be, thank heaven, the last man to observe them in his own person." (Surely the like ha* never appeared!)

"The question of early diagnosis only arises in more or less chronic conditions, such as cancer, tuberculosis, and the cardiovascular degeneration; but the really early diagnosis of internal cancer is admittedly, at present, almost impossible; and as regards pulmonary tubercuLoiis, the difficulty is, that the disease is so insidious in its early stages, that it is often well advanced before the patient comet under observation.”

Statements such as these, result from not understanding that cancer is a late local manifestation of chronic systematic disorder. Not very helpful, considering that them are 1,000,000 people now walking about in Australia and New Zealand, who are doomed to die of cancer: yet cancer, like tuberculosis and practically all other evidences of the disease process, if simply an effect of unhealthy living; and is easily, and certainly, preventible.

“It may be said, in fact, without much exaggeration, that there is little room for improvement. in modern diagnosis, always l excepting

the early detection of cancer, when all its resources are brought adequately to bear on the case of disease.” (Good heavens, orthodox medical men don’t even understand what disease is; still less how it comes about).

“So few in fact are the diseases u'e can really cure that one is tempted to believe that if all doctors went on strike for a year, the effect on th death rate would be inappreciable.” (On the contrary, i|t would be strikingly beneficial).

“How little can we do for the degenerative diseases, for nephritis, and for most organic affections of the nervous system. Even in the cure of the conditions which cause invalidity rather than death, we have not much to boast about. Can we cure the common cold or influenza? Can we really do much in that large, miscellaneous group of affections labelled “rheumatic/’ which account for to much time off work?” (Healthy living is a (sure preventive of all these).

"We badly need a chemical agent which should kill infecting agents without damaging the tissue.” (Rubrish! What is needed is better understanding and obedience to law).

“Prophecy, however, is idle. That great advance will be made we may feel tolerably sure, although the popular opinion that for every disease there is a cure, if only we could find it is certainly a delusion; but from whence new help will come it is impossible to say. It may quite well be from outside medicine and its ancillary sciences.” (Considering Dr Hutchinson's admissions, this is where we slhall look).

“In questions of treatment, constitutional medicine has redirected attention to the importance of the blood; and this has led to a renewed interest in blood-letting which has fallen too much into disuse. To a great development of transfusion, arid to the use of new methods, such as protein shock. (What tragic, and bankrupt futility).

Physical and mental regeneration, consequent upon correction of wrong methods of living, are commonly surprisingly rapid, even in individuals previously chronically diseased. So it will prove in the mass. As the more obvious of our errors are corrected, disease will disappear from our midst, with astonishing rapidity; even in a few weeks it will steeply decline. The gratifying results, now arousing worldwide interest accrue from the employment of simple principle, such as almost anyone can apply. While gladly conceding the intellectual potentiality and good intention of most medical men, I appeal for willingness to acknowledge error, and realign mistaken belief. In the attack upon poverty and disease, let us co-operate with our Government, who whatever their shortcomings, are admittedly doing their utlmost to promote the good of us all. Tremendous possibilities await. No useful purpose- is served by brazening out untenable conceptions Obedience to spiritual cosmic law is the eternal provision for human well-being.—l am, etc., ULRIC WILLIAMS.

In the realm of medical scentific beliefs, there have been various dissenters, chief of whom in New Zealand is Dr. Ulric Williams, of Wanganui, who contributes the accompanying article, which strongly attacks an eminent British physician's views. While we do not necessarily support the views expressed by Dr. Williams, we give him the opportunity of expressing his own opinions.