Survey Of Industrial Losses Through Rheumatism Suggested

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27794, 20 October 1955, Page 5

Survey Of Industrial Losses Through Rheumatism Suggested

Rheumatism was the biggest cause of absenteeism in business and in industry, and the loss of production in New Zealand because of it was causing the Government considerable concern, said an eminent British physician, Dr. W. S. C. Copeman, in Christchurch yesterday. Dr. Copeman, who is chairman of the Empire Rheumatism Council, is visiting the Dominion at the request of the Government to advise what can be done to overcome the problem. “Although rheupiatic diseases do not kill people in the same way as cancer and tuberculosis, they are of, greater economic importance than cancer, tuberculosis, and diabetes combined, although not nearly so dramatic,” said Dr. Copeman. “ ‘Rheumatism’ is a portmanteau word which covers serious diseases such as rheumatoid-arthritis and osteo-arthritis, various aches and Sains which go under the name of brositis and gout, and other less serious diseases.”

Dr. Copeman said that last year 90,000,000 man hours of work were lost in England alone through rheumatism. The cost in money in England and Wales was £40,000,000.

Figures for New Zealand were not known, and the first thing he would .suggest to the Government was that a survey should be made. There was a lot of suffering with rheumatism, and although that was not what the Government was worrying about, it was important to doctors who had done a lot of research in the last few years. The campaign against rheumatism had to be curative rather than preventive for a start, said Dr. Copeman. He would suggest that special departments in hospitals at Auckland. ‘Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin be set up to deal with rheumatism sufferers. The departments should be under separate charges—the doctors, some of whom had worked with him in England, were available in New Zealand—and the work could link with that already being done at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Rotorua.

“The departments must have a few beds at their disposal; merely treating at outpatients is no good,” he said. “For equipment you could manage on what the physiotherapy departments already have. The laboratories are already here and the departments could cash in on them, no doubt. That is why I will suggest adding to present hospitals, rather than setting up separate establishments and duplicating research and other services.

‘Once the public know that something can be done about rheumatic diseases and no longer regard them as an act of God they will be very anxious for these things to be established, and once they are, I take it the medical profession will start educating the public as to what can be done about it and inviting them to use the facilities, but that is not much good until the facilities are there,” Dr. Copeman said. ‘‘lt is rather important to bring the problem to the attention of those interested.”

Although Dr. Copeman has been in New Zealand for only two weeks, he has been very busy bringing “the problem to attention.” He has delivered more than 30 lectures and addresses, and today in Christchurch he will give four more. Tomorrow he will give three lectures and attend a clmico-pathological conference, and on Saturday, before leaving for Timaru, he will make a ward round at the Christchurch Hospital.

After touring the South Island Dr. Copeman, who is accompanied by Mrs Copeman, will return to Wellington and hold discussions with the Gover-nor-General (Sir Willoughby Norrie), J!? e ?£? n ? e Mini ster (Mr Holland), and the Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Hanan).

Dr. Copeman, who is aged 55, is in charge of the department for chronic rheumatic diseases at the West London Hospital. During the First World War he served in Europe with the Coldstream Guards, and in World War II he was a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was mentioned in dispatches twice.