THE MAYO CLINIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 157, 6 July 1939, Page 10

THE MAYO CLINIC.

"GIANT HEALTH FACTORY." (By HENRY J. HAYWARD.) Dr. Charlee Mayo, who recently departed to "the bourne whence no traveller returneth," was probably the beet-known doctor in the world. The youngest of the famous "Mayo Brothers," he was in his 74th year and combined within his personality the qualities of a brilliant surgeon, a really great business man, a master of the art of advertising (within the ethics of his profession) and the wit of a modern epigrammatist.

The Mayo clinic is the Mecca of thousands of sufferers, not only from the United States, but.from'all parts of the world. Its venue is the city of Rochester, U.S.A.—in fact one can almost say the Mayo clinic i* Rochester, for its hundreds*'of doctors and its hundred and fifty thousand patients annually constitute Rochester's principal source of income. The clinic owns not only its famous hospital, but also some of Rochester's principal hotels, from which there are private underground passages to the hospital. As showing the immense business of the Mayo clinic, it is said that an average of over 400 new patients daily cross its portals, who spend approximately 500 dollars each, so that 200.000 dollars per' day flows into Rochester and the clinic. A "Factory" of Cures. Writing me recently from Rochester, a visiting medical friend set down his impressions of this world-famous hospital. "Its ruthless efficiency amazed one most —it is a 'factory' devoted to the cure of disease. There are numberless specialists for every part the body, and every reliable invention "of medical science is devoted-to the welfare of its patients, and whilst this ruthless efficiency appears to be justified by the high percentage of the cures and the health improvements of the patient*, yet there was little or no rapport -between the doctors and the patients —who were merely the machinery and material in a giant health factory." But it is as master in the art of advertising that I "lifts my lid" to the Mayo Brothers. Barn inn was a great publicity man. Hollywood, too. knows the whole gamut of advertisement, whilst the Very Rev. Anfte Macpherson and some American churches do not despise brass-band methods to S.O.S. But besides the Mavo Brothers thev are all mere children!

The huge foyer entrance to the clinic has its walls papered with the diplomas and degrees showered upon these two jrreat surgeons from the universities of the world. And. in addition, a la Madame Tussaud, are great, glass cases containing the robes bestowed , upon the Mayo brothers —and it is reported that all these flamboyant decorations were given gratis, with the one solitary exception of the Aberdeen University, which intimated where the robes associated with their degrees bestowed "might be purchased at a reasonable rate"! Still, it takes all sorts to make a world, and the ultimate test of the value of any institution is best measured by it* results —and jraiiged by this practical method, the Mayo clinic triumphantly justifies itself. A Trio of Epigrams. The late Charles Mavo had other qualitiesin addition to his genius as organiser for health. Ho was a cynii- with a pretty sense of humour —even at the expense of his own profession —and many are the epi Trams which are alleged to be of his coinage; here are a trinity. "An ordinary practitioner is a man who put* something of which he knows little into a body of which he knows less." ''Eighty per cent of all diagnoses are incorrect, as is proved by post-mortem examinations." But this is the best of the three: "If you have a bad cold, and leave it to Dame Xature, it will generally cure itself in a fortnight; if you go to a firet-elass physician he will cure it in two weeks." America, and, indeed, the whole world, are poorer /or the passing of Dr. Charles Mavo.