MEDICAL RESEARCH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 88, 24 January 1938, Page 6

MEDICAL RESEARCH

THE COUNCIL APPOINTED.

CO-ORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES. PERSONNEL AND FUNCTIONS. fPer Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 23. The Hon. P.; Fraser.; (Minister of Health) announces that the Government has•;established a Medical Research Council, and that this body held its first meeting in Wellington in the middle of December. Mr Fraser indicated that the Council consisted of two representatives of the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Otago (Professor Hercus and Dr. Muriel Bell), two representatives of the British Medical Association (Sir Donald McGavin and Dr. P. P. Lynch), two medical men chosen by the Government (Sir James Elliott and Dr. R. R-. D. .Milligan) and two Departmental representatives (Dr. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Dr. M. H. Watt, Director-General of Health, who, .ex officio, will act as chairman of the new body).

The new body is closely related to the Board of Health as it includes all the medical members of that body. It is also fortunate insofar as Sir James Elliott is president of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society, and Sir Donald McGavin is secretary of the New Zealand branch of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, thus forming valuable links with those organisations and ensuring their close co-operation. The Minister stated that the functions of the Council would be:

(1) To correlate as far as may be practicable medical research work in New Zealand.

(2) To recommend what researches and investigations should be undertaken.

(3) To appoint separate ad hoc committees to take charge of each investigation. (4) To recommend what amount of money should be allocated for medical research each year and to suggest the apportionment of the amount to the separate investigations.

In the past there had been more research carried out in New Zealand than was generally realised. Many of the activities had not been confined to the Government. It was, however, advisable that to avoid overlapping and needless expense, some central body should be set up which would undertake the work of correlating the various existing researches and intimating and stimulating hew work. * The Minister stated, .that it would be for the Council to formulate : schemes for research ari'd submit proposals for his con-' sideration. He had assured the CounciFthab the Government was keenly interested in the subject and would be prepared to assist to the utmost of its ability. At the Council’s meeting special reference was made to the incidence of tuberculosis • among the Maori people, and in view of the high death rate from this cause it was advocated that special attention should be devoted to this subject with a view, if possible, to lowering- the mortality rate. Although the Council’s first meeting was necessarily of a preliminary nature a very definite start has been made, and the reports which have been called for will necessitate the holding of a further meeting in. the new year. It is the intention of the Government to go as far as possible in the direction of making funds available for the various resarches which will bo promoted by the council. At the recent meeting the suggestion was made that possibly public-spirited citizens might be prepared to assist by benefactions and donations, and if any elect to adopt this course they can be assured that the money will be wisely and carefully expended.