Magazine Medicine

Doctors now realize the value of simple, explanatory articles on cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis, pneumonia, rheumatic fever, quackery, and so on (TIME, May 3, 17, June 21, Aug. 30, Sept. 13 Oct. 4, 18, 25, Jan. 17, 31, Feb. 7, 14, etc.). But a few doctors yet lag with their cooperation. These men President Wendell C. Phillips of the American Medical Association scolded last week, when he opened a conference of 50 voluntary and public health organizations at Chicago. Said he: "The medical profession should throw off its mask of reticence and its shrinking attitude toward reasonable publicity concerning health education. Professional policies narrowly conceived can never successfully oppose the rightful interests of the public.

"It is time to strike the shackles from the shrinking attitude of the medical profession, not only toward the public espousal of educational programs, but from its attitude toward the lay press, the radio and the great assemblies of truth seeking people. The physician has no right to conceal from non-medical readers the great body of news of the higher importance which is his to communicate."