PHYSICIAN’S MISSION

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30196, 30 July 1963, Page 21

PHYSICIAN’S MISSION

New Hospital Department The establishment of a department of electro-encepha-lography at the Christchurch Hospital is expected to be brought nearer as a result of a visit to New York in the next few weeks by Dr. J. A. K. Cuningham, a senior visiting physician to the North Canterbury Hospital Board. The board recently made proposals to the Department of Health for setting up elec-tro-encephalography as a specialty at the hospital. According to the board's director of medicine <Dr. C. G. Rileyl, it is hoped that the specialty will be established early in 1964. It will be situated in the out-patients’ department .An electro-encephalograph Is an instrument by which electricil impulses derived from the Mirbe amplified and recorded on paper, in much the same way as impulses derived from the heart are recorded by an electro-cardiograph. Unusual patterns in an electro-ence-phalogram may among other things, help to locate brain damage or disfunction and indicate the seat of abnormal behaviour patterns. Although Dr. Cuningham. who left Christchurch on Sunday, is travelling on accumulated normal leave, he will make a point of observing the running and equipment of electro-encephalo-graphy departments in hospitals overseas in order to prepare detailed suggestions for the department proposed for Christchurch. A hospital at which, it is expected, he will spend a good deal of time is the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, but he will also visit other institutions. mainly in the United States and Britain.