The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

THE HEALTH BULLETIN. 177THE PRESS ON THE OXYPATHORIn commenting on the exposure ofthe Oxypathor fraud, the State Journalgives voice to the following:"If the State Board of Health iscorrect, then it is unquestionably theduty of the press to lend its aid bygiving as wide publicity as possibleto the exposure. The fact that theOxypathor pays certain papers largesums for advertising should not alterthe case. Until the State Journal isready to attack the State Board ofHealth as a useless department ofgovernment, or call for the retirementof those now composing that Boardas unworthy public servants, it standsready to cooperate with it in protectingthe health and lives of the people.This course may lose us much money,which we might otherwise get fromadvertising of a questionable character,but we say frankly that if this papercan not be published without being aparty to defrauding the people andendangerirg their health and lives, itwill cease publication."Lack of space forbids our quotingfreely from state papers in regard tothis matter, but to show what we believeto be the general attitude ofthe press in regard to exposing suchfrauds, w quote the following fromCharity and Children:"We are especially fortunate inNorth Carolina in having a StateBoard of Health that stands betweenthe people and the fakes and fraudsthat abound in the practice of medicineand the selling of 'remedies' byquacks and rascals. The people arehelpless in defending themselves fromimpostors who advertise freely andmake glowing promises, but our StateBoard of Health scans the whole fieldwith eagle eyes, and suffers no fraudto escape. They have recently pickedup one or two of these clever promoterswho proposed to trade on thenecessity and distress of those whodo not know, and we are constantly receivingwholesome advice from thegentlemen as to what is spurious andwhat is genuine in the field of medicine.There is much for this Boardto do, and they are faithfully performingtheir duty, but in our judgmentnothing in all the broad domainsof their activity surpasses in importancethis matter of protecting thepublic from frauds and deceivers."While we appreciate the nice thingssaid about the work of this Board,and feel that perhaps we are givenmore credit in this direction than wedeserve, yet it should be borne inmind that frauds and fakes are hardto reach at best, and that no lawswhatsoever exist to back up the effortsof this Board in such matters.TOBACCO AND ALCOHOLThe question is frequently asked,"Have you any statistics on the effectof tobacco and alcohol on the length oflife?" No, we have none here inNorth Carolina. In fact, we just begangathering our first general birthand death certificates on the 15th oflast November, and it will be severalyears before they begin to show verymuch. However, we have just runacross some interesting facts and figurescompiled by life insurance companiesalong these lines. Certain lifeinsurance companies, particularly inGreat Britain, have found the mortalityrate so much lower among abstainersthat they are quoted a lowerlife insurance rate than others. Themost striking figures, however, are furnishedby a New England company.