WOMAN DOCTOR HONOURED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28921, 15 June 1959, Page 2

WOMAN DOCTOR HONOURED

Dr. Muriel Bell Made Fellow

One of New Zealand's bestknown women doctors was among 10 doctors who were admitted as fellows of the Royal Australian College of Physicians at a meeting of the general body of fellows of the college in Adelaide late last month. She is Dr. Muriel Bell, who has been chairman of the nutrition research committee of the Medical Research Council since 1948 and nutritionist to the Health Department since 1940. Dr. Bell, who was in Christchurch yesterday, was admitted as a fellow without examination in recognition of distinguished services to tfie profession.

After graduating in 1922 Dr. Bell held a William Gibson research fellowship from 1930 to 1932, and during this period she worked at University College, London, with Sir Jack Drummond, who was later Scientific adviser to the British Ministry of Food.

Dr. Bell’s interests have been in many fields. In 1929 and again in 1935 and 1936 she was engaged in work on bush sickness in sheep. “The wool just pulled off and left them nice and pink,’’ she says. More recently Dr. Bell has supervised the food used by both men and dogs in the New Zealand section of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic expedition. During World War II she was concerned in food adjustments resulting from rationing. s”ch as keeping babies free from scurvy when there were no oranges available. She has also been engaged researches on fluoride in New Zealand teeth. Books and Publicity

Dr. Bell has written books and publicity material on many matters related to nutrition. She is the editor of “Good Nutrition,” which is widely used in girls' secondary schools, and is also the author of a book on nutrition used by nurses.

Since 1937 Dr. Bell has been woman member of the Board of Health. She was a foundation member of the Medical Research Council and also of the New Zealand Central Milk Council. She is still a member of the successor of the council, the New Zealand Milk Board. Dr. Bell is also a member of the Dietitians’ Board and of the Fluoridation Committee. Last New Year the Queen honoured Dr Bell by conferring on her the C.B.E.