TON MEDICAL

OCT 18 1922

The Journal of the Jowa State Medical Society

VOL. IX

DES MOINES, IOWA, JANUARY 15, 1919

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS, SOUTHWEST-
ERN IOWA MEDICAL SOCIETY,
SEPTEMBER 3, 1918

J. C. OHL MACHER, M.D., Clarinda

No. 1

now presents itself, and threatens to undermine and weaken us. It is as old as the race itself.

Desultory battles have been waged against it, to little or no avail. It has steadily gained strength, until now, by insidious, damnable ac

Dominant in the mind, are thoughts of that gi- tivity, it bids fair to ruin a nation.

gantic struggle going on in Europe, in which our nation is now taking so conspicuous a part. Every thought of the busy day, and of the wakeful night, is tinged with a consciousness of that horror, so that thoughts independent of it, and acts not intimately associated with it, seem of but small significance, and incapable of commanding deep and serious attention. Yet those who think and are in the habit of putting their thoughts to practical service, realize that we have many problems here at home; some old, others new; problems that stand out as never before; problems so fraught with significance, so pregnant with possibilities of great good or great evil, that they cry out for satisfactory and early solution, that our country's progress be co-extensive with the great sacrifices she has made, is making, and will continue to make, until there is builded a foundation so wondrous strong, so fruitful of right and justice, upon which to enthrone a triumphant democracy, that all the world may garner therefrom, and profit thereby.

The economic and social welfare of an individual, family, community, state, or nation, rests largely upon health, so that many of the problems which should be, must be solved, are largely medical, and thus in keeping with the special activities of our profession.

While our boys, with the Allies, are fighting and gradually shaping a lasting victory over the common enemy abroad, we at home must marshal our forces against many potent enemies in our midst. There is a supreme enemy, whose significance as a devastator of nations is greater than all the Teutonic forces combined. This enemy must be met as intelligently, as persistently, as vigorously, and as fearlessly as must the enemy "over there," if victory is to come, and our nation's future assured. It is not a new enemy that

Throughout the past fifteen or twenty years, fearless, far-sighted, broad-gauged generals of our profession have mapped out, and tried to put into execution, effective campaigns against this foe, but their brave efforts have to this day been largely negated by the cowardly inactivity, or the half-hearted activity of many in our profession and in the law making branches of our states and nation, whose sentimental vaporings have been equaled only by the preponderance of yellow streaks among them. Sentiment has ruled where good horse sense should have been supreme. Half-way, inefficient measures, more dangerous in their implication of promised security than complete passiveness, have here and there been adopted. Only here and there, along a vast battle front, have proper tactics been inaugurated, and anything like success assured.

Iowa is on the firing line, but so far has done nothing but partially reveal the strength of the enemy, by shooting up a few sky rockets. Sky rockets make some noise, and a rather nice display, but they don't harm or scare the enemy. The time is ripe; the psychological moment has come, when we should bomb, bombard, gas and turn liquid fire into the trenches of the enemy, in an effort to annihilate him.

The dangerous and damnable foe which we must meet in this manner, fights under the ignominious banner of syphilis and gonorrhea. That the foe is damnable and dangerous, is attested by the casualty list of Iowa alone. This item gives but a brief hint of the large number in this state who have succumbed. It is contained in an early report from the Surgeon General's office, and is about as follows:

"Of the registrants from Iowa who reported for training at the various camps, up to the first of May of this year, 10,200 were found to be afflicted with syphilis, and a far greater number