THE MEDICAL CONGRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 30, 5 February 1896, Page 4

THE MEDICAL CONGRESS.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—PEESB ASSOCIATION.

Dunedin, Tuesday. At the Medical Congress to-day, Dr, O'Hara, Melbourne, president of the section of surgery, read the opening audresa in that section. He referred to the death o! Pasteur, who rirsb established the gera theory ot putrefaction, and Sir J. Lister, who pub is into practical use, and introduced antiseptic treatmenb of .woundi Ho (Dr. O'Hara) hhd come to the « elusion that where sepsis occurred k s wound, ib was in naosfe cases introduced }j the operators' hands or instruments, . Th= moat prominenb feature in the treatmentc! diseases of late years has been the introduction of sero-therapy, and the most sttccesiful results up to date have been achieved. With diphtheria ib may not be a specificio all cases, bub ib has given the most marvel' lous results in the most hopeless cases, &sd reduced the mortality" to less than one-julf of that recorded before its introduction. Dr. O'Eara mentioned that during an epidenric of , diphtheria, he performed tracheotomy 52 times, and erery casesot' cumbed. He then turned to the subjectti cancer, and quoted a number of cases k had treated. Exporionce, he said, helped to strengthen the theory that cancer m, infectious, bub ib could not be regarded as established without further proofs. Hi dealb with other branches, and concluded by refening to the increase in gynecologj cases operated on.

Dr. Grace aaid he had never seen aßu* cessful case of tracheotomy in dipbtherii, but Dr. Garde, South Australia, differed, and said chat in thirty cases he had been successful in seven or eight. ''

Dr. Haywood read the presidential &• dress in the section of medicine'in place of Dr. Landon, of Molbourne, who was do! present). Be invited attention to theqiw tion as to the share which the genera! practitioner had in the advancemflnt of nedicine as contrasted with those who ft votad themselves to a special branch. B* ferring bo Jenner's discovery of inoculation he said thi9 generation did not really knoi what sniall-pox ineanb a century ago,and hence parents moved by their infants tears wore easily persuaded that "^.J did nob hold with" vaccination, ati thab it engendered all sorts of diseasMjj after life, as though skin eruptions .»» delicate health wore unknown before P days of Jenner. What work was thereto' the general practitioner to do in_ t» twentieth century to advance theecieDce ot medicine? The achievements ofw« past must be the augury, for the work tW it is possible for him. to do is boundto It may nob, like Jenner's, mean the satin,, of countless lives, but it will add to our common stock of knowledge. Led tu«a queetion all authority and doubt all dog"1"' tism, and having shaken off the ttam^ of tradition and authority, general ■p^1' tioners would ba more likely to do m ebaro in tho advancement of medicine- ■ In the public health section four pap ' were read, including one by Dr. WiapPlj Wellington, on tho public health aspect alcohol. Dr. Chappie will brin£ form™' resolution in favour of establishing ebriatea' homes. w j. I Papers were also read and discass^' anatomy and midwifery sections, and in subsection eye, ear, and throat. ■ In tha afternoon members aMe?I*^ garden party given by Mrs W. ij.. nolds, ab which His Excellency ana*1" ters attended. . ,:,;„) ■ Among the papers read in *h8 j^.'i Section waa ono by Dr. Hope ww, Auckland, on •' The New Zealand Spring,." In tha Bye, Ear, and >_ Sub-section, Dr. Jackman, of Meiw presiding, a committee was appo>»' j, draw up a report on tests for-?v -^ sailors and railway men, w"ich ~,*! cussed. Dr. Worrall, of Sydney, P« ~ over the Midwifery Section, and '"^ tific papers were read by Dr. kovei r() f { fiii Townsend, of Christchurcn. ,^, Watson, of Adelaide, delivered \wv dental address in tha Anatomy In the evening the members °^< s6 (O gress were entertained by &*r*VLaVit: The Premier and the Co1op«« "f were also present.