CANCER CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 57, 8 March 1930, Page 9

CANCER CAMPAIGN

SUPPLY OF RADIUM

MEDICAL VIEWS

IMPORTANT DECISIONS

The first meeting of the-re-constitut-ed Central Committee of the British Empire Cancer Campaign (New Zealand branch) was held .in Wellington yesterday. Present: Dr. J. S. Elliott (chairman) Mr. P. Eraser, M.P., Sir, Louis Barnett, Mr. A. Barnctt, Dr. D'Ath, Mr. Knight (chaihnan Otago Hospital Board), Dr. P. P. Lynch, Mr. C. M. Luke (chairman Wellington Hospital Board), Dr. Gunson, Dr. M'Cormaek, Mr. M. R. O'Shea, Mr. W. Wallace (chairman Auckland Hospital Board), Dr. Acland, Dr. Bilcliff, and Mr. Otley (chairman Canterbury Hospital Board). Apologies for unavoidable absence were received from the Mayors of Wellington, Christehurch, Auckland, and Dunedin. Dr. M. H. Watt, (deputy Director»General of Health) was present by invitation. . . ■ ■

Dr. Elliott said it was gratifying to see such, a representative gathering from all parts of the Dominion at the first meeting of the reconstituted Central Committee. It was well known that the rules would have to be altered so as to give equal representation to each of the four divisions. Three Representatives from each division had been appointed, as. well as the chairmen of the hospital boards of the main centres, and the Mayors of the four chief cities. . In moving the appointment of Dr. IT. S.. Elliott as .chairman of the Central Committee, Mr. C. -M. Luke referred to the sincere interest Dr. Elliott took in the cancer campaign, and the valuable service ho had rendered to the cause. . ■ ~ The motion was seconded by Mr. W. Wallace, and was carried uanimously. In returning thanks, Dr. Elliott said ho would give the closest attention to the business of tho campaign, and was ■sure he would have the co-operation of all the other members of the committee. It was agreed that the rules bo altered to enable the deputies of the Mayors of the cities'and the chairmen of the hospital boards to exercise the same powers as the principals for whom they acted. . . Dr. Elliott said he was glad to see Dr: M. H. Watt (deputy Director-Gen-eral of Health) present, because it was a sign of. tho co-operation of the Government with the campaign, and of the campaign's goodwill towards .the Government and the Health Depart- . ment. ■ FINANCIAL QUESTIONS. Speaking of financial matters, Dr. Elliott said that tho money which wds in tho hands of the New Zealand branch in Wellington would have bcr longed to the Wellington division if the Wellington division had been then formed. He did not think it was Imaterial which body the moneys was lodged with. The Wellington division got its money without any special effort, and, in addition to the money in hand, they had been fortunate in coming into considerable legacies which would come to them in time. One bequest was that of £10,000, and there were other bequests which brightened the distant financial prospects of the campaign. Dunedin had raised a considerable amount of money. They were aiming at £25,000, and he ; believed they had already got between1 £14,000 and £ 15,000. -Auckland and Canterbury had commenced, their campaign. ,We iri'Wellington had resolved to wait a little while before commencing a campaign. There were some other local campaigns which they wanted to be completed first. • '. Acting under instructions from the outgoing committee, Dr. Elliott said that ho and the Hon. Dr. Collins took steps to see the- Prime Minister about getting financial support from- the Government. Sir Joseph Ward was ill, and they received word that his sympathetic message at tho opening of the 'campaign showed that he would do everything ho could to further the aims of the movement) owing to his state of health, however, it would' be better to leave the matter in abeyance for a time. It was tho policy of the campaign not to rely upon,,the Government too much for funds, but should appeal to'private, resources before much claim was made upon tho Government, Their object was to get as large a number of the public as possible interested in the'campaign, including numbers of small subscribers. In regard to this matter, he thought that possibly ■the Government might favourably consider giving them a grant of £1000 a year, for a limited period to begin with. The Commonwealth Government had given £100,000, tho British Government had given largo sums of money, ias ■. had also , other Governments 'throughout the Empire. Ho had spoken to Dr. Watt quite unofficially in regard to subsidies on radium. He understood that in this country radium had been, subsidised &■ for &. The [Wellington division' had got a donation of £500 from the Macarthy Trust, to be used for. radium. That money ■was being handed to the Wellington Hospital Board in order to get subsidy. The radium in Wellington was in the custody of the Hospital Board. One donation of £2000 had been received from an anonymous donor in Wellington. That money was earmarked for the salary of Dr. A. M. Begg for research purposes. PURCHASE OF RADIUM. Dr. M. .H. Watt said that with reference to the subsidy on radium, many -years ago, when tho radium question j>came into prominence, tho -Health Department decided as far as possiblo to (limit tho purchase of radium to the jfour main centres,-and, with the.view ■of encouraging tho equipment of tho /base hospitals with radium the Govcrniment agreed to subsidise moneys for ftho purchase of radium at the rate of :10s in the £ up to £5000 at any ono .centre. A few years ago tho subsidy was increased to £ for £ up to. £5000. LAftout twelvo months ago at Dunedin the Prime Minister promised a deputation of tho Otago Hospital Board that he was prepared to give a do novo subsidy up to, £5000, to any one of the four chief centres on tho basis of £, for £. Since that time he thought jfche Christehurch Hospital Board had purchased a small quantity, some £700 worth, which was subsidised by the Government by £ for £. That money in Christehurch came from the Travis bequest. Dr. Elliott thought the Central Committee, which represented the whole of New Zealand, could bo of service to the Government as an advisory body to the Government on the question of cancer treatment. Dr. Watt expressed tho opinion that the advice of the Central Committee would be valuable. Many of the smaller hospitals were anxious to obtain radium. If tho Government had the advice of a body such as the Central Committee no doubt it would be ■very helpful.

FULLY EQUIPPED DEPARTMENT.

Sir Louis Barnett said it was ossential that there should be a fullyequipped standardised radium department in each of tho four centres—fully equipped both as regards radium and as Tegards the personnel in charge. There tehould be a qualified radiologist, technicians, nursing, and clerical staff. &]so, there shonld be proper safeguards fe patients and workers, Special

rules in regard to theso matters had been laid down by the central body in England. There wero certain deficiencies in the centres in tho Dominion which should be met. Ho thought that in Dimedin they woul* soon have sufficient money to equip the radium department upon tho standardised basis without coining on the Cancer Campaign Funds at all. Other • centres, however, would require money. They should have the report of an expert on •the radium departments of the four chief centres. Perhaps Dr.. A. M. Begg or Mr. Burroughs, the radium expert for Australia, might furnish such a report. He thought it was the opinion of leading authorities at Home that, there should be radium emanation outfits in each centre, so as to cater for patients in distant parts who_ could not conveniently come to tho main centres. No doubt it was better that all cancer cases should be treated by radium— where that treatment was considered best—at the central hospitals,' but that wag not practicable in all eases. Some cases at a distance could, bo catered for quite well by emanations. Then there was the recording of treatment of eases, and there was also the publication of scientific reports.' There was, in addition, the question of the collection of funds and the disposal of such funds. Dr. Guns'on generally endorsed the remarks of Sir Louis Barnett. After a brief discussion, it was agreed to defer asking tho Government for a subsidy. ■ A! RADIUM SURVEY. Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., moved that a finance committee be appointed. The suggestion was made that a medical and research committee be first appointed to make recommendations as to the medical requirements. Mr. Eraser's proposal was carried by 7 votes to 4.. It was also agreed that a medical and research committee be appointed; and, on the motion of Dr. Gunson, it was resolved that each division appoint an additional member to such committee representing medical practitioners engaged in treating cancer cases. The medical and research committee will then comprise tho Dean and Sub-dean of the : Medical School, Dunedin, the pathologists in the hospitals of the four centres, Sir Louis Barnett, the chairman of the Central Committee, and a medical man appointed by each of the four divisions. * ' ,

On the motion of Dr. Elliott, the matter of an efficient radium survey being mado for the wholo. of Now Zealand was referred to the Medical and Research Committee. . ■

Dr. P. P. Lynch suggested,.and it was agreed, that copifes of the form of ease records used in the Commonwealth be forwarded to each division for consideration for use in New Zealand.

It was resolved to request/ the Regis-trar-General to forward quarterly to the Central Committee reports of all cases of death from cancer.