The Moral Leadership of the American Radiologist in a Free World's Hope for Survival

Abstract

At no other time in the history of man have so many presumably informed people in a free society such as ours gone peacefully on their way for so long a time, with their eyes closed, refusing to think, talk, or act as a group about the greatest threat of the ages, the possible annihilation of man. For years—after the first glimpse of the overwhelming dangers of nuclear weapons and the realization that our not-so-friendly neighbors now possessed these same horrible means of annihilation—we have either (1) tried not to think about it, (2) have thought about it but through totally false assumptions decided that, should we be attacked, there would be no hope for survival, (3) have shrugged if off as another complete responsibility of the Federal Government, looking to it to save us by constructing shelters for us all—“if these shelters would protect us, let them take care of us and build them for us”—or (4) have taken the information which, on a limited Civil Defense budget, the U. S. Government has been putting out for years, enrolled in a course, read the literature, and begun preparing. As physicians and radiologists we know more about the effects of radiation than any other group in the world. Yet, what have we done, as a group or individually, to back up the efforts to arouse the American public from its lethargy and fantastic fatalistic attitude (that our enemy has gleefully applauded as our weakness) that, if the nuclear peril should come, our entire population would be no more. Is there one among us who does not shield himself—with confidence—in his daily exposures to the powers of radiation? The know-how we are aware of as no other group. In the everyday practice of our specialty it takes a man who is skilled in this field to control both the exposure to his patient and to himself. If the horrors of lung cancer can be altered by elimination of smoking, our worthy colleagues do not hesitate, as a group, to announce such convictions. If polio can be prevented by vaccination, oral or otherwise, our medical confreres are not afraid to promote mass vaccination programs in the press, in public forums, or on radio and TV. If heart trouble may be associated with cholesterol levels and can be altered by diet and other means, the cardiologists do not suffer pangs of conscience for advancing these theories. Not all, of course, can be saved from heart disease, but the point is that many can and many will be. The physician feels it is his moral responsibility to his fellow man to back up the findings of the scientists by adding to the hopes which they offer the emphasis of his personal prestige as a medical practitioner and his personal knowledge in his own specialized field. Slowly the information has filtered out from experts in the field of nuclear war that "perhaps" our people can survive a nuclear attack if they are properly prepared and protected.