International Journal ofOrthodontia and Oral SurgeryPUBLISHED THE FIFTEENTH OF EVERY MONTH BY

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Editorial

Looking Ahead

T.HE economic and social life of America is rapidly changing, and all de­partments of medical and dental practice must necessarily change to

meet the health requirements of the new order. In the future, health serviceis to be available to all the people, as education is now available to all chil­dren. The orthodontists of the country realize that within their own organi­zation they must plan to extend their services to reach larger groups of thepeople. In New York at the meeting of the American Society of Ortho­dontists in 1935, President L. M. Waugh emphasized that great efforts mustbe made to make services available to all children who need them. At thatmeeting it was pointed out that orthodontia must not be provided for privi­leged children alone.

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1202 Editorial

A Socio-Economic Committee has been appointed by the Executive Coun­cil of the Society to make recommendations at the next annual meeting of theSociety as to ways and means of extending competent orthodontic service tomore people, in conformity with the trend of the times in all health service.The committee is composed of T. W. Sorrels, Oklahoma City, Chairman;Harry Allshouse, Kansas City, Mn.: and Russell Irish, Pittsburgh, Pa.

In conformity with the duties outlined for this committee, the chairmanof the Socio-Economic Committee of the American Society of Orthodontistsinquired of both the Democratic National Headquarters and the RepublicanNational Headquarters to ascertain the attitude as manifested by the plat­forms and the principal candidates toward state medicine and dentistry. TheDemocratic Headquarters has called attention in its reply to the fact that thePresident has gone on record as commending the medical and nursing profes­sions in taking the attitude that they must do more in times of sickness tohelp the families with small income, and that he has praised the physiciansof the nation for all they have done during the depression, often at greatsacrifice, in maintaining the standards of living for the sick, and have devotedthemselves without reservation to the high ideals of their profession.

It is pointed out that the medical profession has been admonished by thePresident that it can rest assured that the Federal administration contem­plates no action detrimental to the interests of the profession and that theaction taken in the field of health as shown by the provisions of the SocialSecurity Act, recently enacted, is clear. The President said that the fourprovisions in the Social Security Act which deal with health received thesupport of outstanding physicians during the hearings before Congress; andthe American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association,and the State and Territorial Health Officers' Conference made it plain thatthey were in full support of the public health provisions, and that the Ameri­can Child Health Association and the Child Welfare League had endorsed thematernal and child health provisions. He indicated that the health plans willbe carried out in a manner compatible with the traditional social and politicalinstitutions of America, and that all states and territories are now cooperat­ing with the public health service. All states except one are cooperating inmaternal and child health service; all states but ten in service to crippledchildren, and all states but nine in child welfare.

The President made it plain in his Jersey City speech (October 2, 1936)that the Social Security Act has enthusiastic public support and that it con­tains precautions for assuring the continued support of the medical profes­sions. He said that the government will call on the physicians of the nationfor advice in days to come and that an overwhelming majority of physiciansare of the opinion that medicine should be kept out of politics; but on occa­sions in the past such attempts have failed and probably will always fail inthis regard.

On the other hand, the Republican reply indicated the attitude of theparty, calling attention to the article "Politics and Medicine" which ap­peared in the August issue of The American Interne. It was pointed out in a

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letter to the Chairman of the Socio-Economic Committee that this article givesa thorough review of the stand of Republican candidates on this question.

"The Republican party has never believed in turning a noble vocationsuch as medicine into a government controlled 'public utility.' This has beentried in other countries and has proved to be a failure; although there aresome members of this profession who feel that they would be benefited by acomplete socialization of medicine. They would undoubtedly be sadly dis­illusioned if such a course were put into effect, for political pressure and in­fluence would sooner or later have disastrous results."

Enclosed also were quotations from the editorial "Politics and Medi­cine," in which is pointed out very aptly the Republican stand on socializedmedicine. Space will not permit the reprinting of that editorial in full; thefollowing are a few remarks of Gov. Alfred M. Landon, Republican nomineefor the presidency, when he addressed the opening session of the AmericanMedical Association at Kansas City in May. "Medicine will not willingly bemade the servile instrument of politicians or the instrument of domineeringbureaucracy. I predict that the typical American physician and organizedmedicine as a whole will at no time be ready for any scheme of regimenta­tion, for any system of impersonalized medicine which is totally alien to thebest traditions of the American practitioner and of the profession as a whole.The American practitioner will not be a party to the destruction of that in­dividual, personal service which has been the occasion of a special and justi­fiable pride. Whatever further advances are made in the broadening of medi­cal service-there will be an abundance of them-will be made in accordance'with the fundamental conditions of previous achievements. A nation that canmaintain and even elevate its medical standards and the state of public healthin the trying years of a prolonged depression needs to make no apology forthe quality and the reach of its medical facilities.

"That condition itself is a tribute to the American physician in his con­tinued unselfish devotion to a worthy task. May you long abide in yourloyalty to the ideal of individual, personal ministration. From the earliestdays the general practitioner in America was, first of all, an individualist.The circumstances of his work made him that, but it was a fortunate situationfor the people who needed medical care. It meant that they could have per­sonal ministration, that there was an intimate relationship between physicianand patient and that the sufferer became at once, and remained, the object ofvery special attention. Down to the present day, American medicine has con­tinued to be primarily individualistic. It is chiefly on that basis that it is tobe distinguished from medicine in many foreign countries. I know very wellthe arguments for an extension of the best medical service to all groups ofthe American people. It is a worthy cause. It is enlisting the attention ofthe best brains of your profession. I have confidence that you will workit out."

It is of interest that no definite plan is outlined at present by eitherparty; however it is plain that each party is acutely alert to the question of

1204 Editorial

socialized medicine, that both are fully aware that the subject ties in to theSocial Security .Act, and that socialized medicine may become the next bigmove in connection with social security.

The healing arts have gone far under the present system. There is prideof achievement, pride of calling, and pride of distinction for the professionalman under the present system of operation of medical practice. In the eventof socialization men of less ability and of a poorer type will be attracted tothe practice. There will be the job-holding and job-hunting approach topractice. Pride of accomplishment and inspiration in medical practice willfly out the window, and a fascinating and scientific department of humanendea VOl' will become only another job for another group of workers.

H. C. P.