Periodic Health Exams

Astute New York physicians last week initiated a publicity campaign to accomplish three things: to reduce disease in the community, to get themselves more business, to meet the increasing competition of public health, commercial health and free institutional medical activities. The campaign was certified as a good example for physicians in other communities to follow by President-elect William Gerry Morgan of the American Medical Association, who went from his office at Washington to Manhattan to address the opening mass-meeting of the movement at the New York Academy of Medicine. Secretary of the Interior Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, onetime A. M. A. president, also approved, by letter.

Under auspices of five county medical societies in New York City, campaigners are using mass meetings, the press, the radio and school teachers to recommend that each person in the community be physically examined at least once a year. Preferably his personal physician should do the work. If an institution examines him, his personal physician should get the information, should interpret the findings and tell the patient that he is healthy, that he should do so-and-so to prevent disease, or to cure affliction.