HONOUR FOR N.Z. DOCTOR

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27924, 22 March 1956, Page 15

HONOUR FOR N.Z. DOCTOR

President Of College Of Physicians SPECIALIST IN TROPICAL DISEASES /New Zealand Piess Association) WELLINGTON, March 21. In a short but impressive ceremony at a meeting of the council of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Dr. E. G. Sayers, of Auckland, was installed as the first New Zealand-born president of the college. Dr. Sayers was robed and presented with the wand of office, the caduceus, by the retiring president, Dr. C. G. Macdonald, of Sydney. ~ The ceremony was watched by Dr. George F. Strong, president of the American College of Physicians, who vvill deliver the Mills memorial ora--1 tion at a meeting of the college at the . National Art Gallery tomorrow night. A distinguished specialist in tropical diseases. Dr. Sayers was born in | Christchurch. Dr. Sayers, who is, • senior visiting physician at the Auckland Hospital, is a member of the Medical Council, and has been on the council of the college for the last five years.

Educated at Christ’s College (he was later New Zealand president of the old boys’ association), Dr. Sayers studied medicine at Otago University and for a year was resident at Wei-' lington Hospital. To prepare himself for work as medical missionary he studied at the London School of Tropical Medicine and for seven years was in the British Solomon Islands. At the end of that time, in 1934, he returned to England for more post-graduate work. He returned to New Zealand a year later, and except for his period of war service has since practised in Auckland.

Dr. Sayers served with the Ist New Zealand General Hospital, sailing from New Zealand with the 2nd Echelon. He specialised in tropical diseases in the Middle 'East, Greece and Egypt, and when war spread to the Pacific he was recalled there, serving with the 4th New Zealand General Hospital. In the Pacific he became consultant physician to the New Zealand forces, commanded the 4th General Hospital and was responsible for antimalarial control of the troops. His work was recognised by the award of the American Legion of Merit. Dr. Sayers is examiner in pharmacology and therapeutics at Otago University. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. London.