UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8738, 9 March 1894, Page 6

UNIVERSITY SENATE.

— m (raass association telegram.) DUNEDIN, March a At the University Senate to-day the Committee appointed to deal with the motion of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Medical Association, in which it is stated that the time has not yet arrived when a medical degree may with advantage be granted in the colony, brought up their report. The Committee poiuted out that the report was from a section of the New Zealand Medical Association, and there was no evidence to show that the views expressed in it were entertained by the profession generally in the colony. The opiniou of the Otago branch of the same Association, with a full knowledge of tbe circumstances, was decidedly opposed to that of the Wellington branch. At the same time it held strong j opinions as to the necessity for a change in j the present relations of the School of Mcdi- ' ; cine and the Hospital Trustees in respect to ; the selection of clinical teachers. Oa the j question whether, in view of the functions \ which it has to discharge under its charter : of granting medical degrees, the number , of beds, and the appliances ot" the hospital ' are sufficient, and the facilities for clinical ; teaching such as justify a continuance of the granting of those degrees, the Committea reported that large improvements have recently taken place in the hospital, and a system of nursing has been established which brings the administration of the wards to a point of efficiency which leaves little to be desired. Nearly the whole of the improvements have been recently made at the expense of the colony, which has lately contributed about £8000. With regard to number of beds it appears that during the year there has been a daily average of fully 100 ' patients in the hospital and 1100 have been treated indoors, while 220 operations have been performed, fully 200 of which have been of a major character. In the outpatients' department, 1500 new cases were treated, on counting the number of visits as is usually done there were 9100. It appeals further that the Benevolent Asylum, with over 200 inmates and a lying-in ward, and Seacliffe Asylum, with over 500 inmites, are available for clinical purj poses. The Committee have had before them a great deal of evidence as to adequacy ol material available for the purpose of a school of medicine. This leads then to , the same conclusion which has been laid down by high authorities in the Old Country that the study of medicine is best promoted not by seeing many diseases every day or visiting daily numerous cases, but by the Btudy of a few cases with diligence and attention and by anxiously cultivating the habit of making accurate observations. All the evidence shows that opp jrtunities iv the hospi'al for closer study and more ! immediate supervision by the teachers, { results iv as great if not greater efficiency ! thau is the case in larger hospital*, where j the crowding of tae students lessens the J possibility of close and accurate observa j tion. The statements of gentlemen who have taken their degrees in this University S and then proceeded to Great Britain are to I the effect that their course of instruction { here eaabled them to obtain the correspondj ing qualifications granted by the Royal College of Sirgeous and Physicians in England, the examinations in London being of the same standard and conducted for the most part in tbe same manner. At the present time 5 per cent, of the profession in New Zealand have obtained their qualifications from this University in the first instance, and a good proportion of these have been enabled to go Home and apply themselves for a time more advantageously to special branches of study. On full consideration of the whole question, the Committee is of opinion that there is not sufficient ground for the contention apparently arrived at by the members of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Medical Association that the granting of degrees upon such a course of study as that pursued in the Otago University is premature. It is of opinion that the material for clinical studies is amply sufficient when the proportion of students to the number of cases is taken into consideration, and it considers that the efficiency of the hospital as a curative institution is promoted by the existence of the school. The report deal) with the relations of the University and Hospital Trustees, and suggests that the University should be represented among the Trustees. Consideration of the report was adjourned till tomorrow, and members of the Senate then visited the Hospital.