MEDICAL WORLD

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 48, 25 August 1930, Page 8

MEDICAL WORLD

SUB.GERY IN SPAIN

MR. BECC'S OBSERVATIONS

j Mr. K. Campbell Begg returned to AVellington by the Makura to-day after a six months' visit to America and Europe. As a member of the British Section of Urology, Mr. Begg attended the triennial congress of the International Urological Association at Madrid, where a, section of three members was formed for A-ustralia and New Zealand. As the number of members of the association is strictly limited for each country, the formation of this section will give threo extra vacancies for the British Section. "Ono of tho interesting features of tho congress," said Mr. Begg, "was the invitation to tho Germans to send delegates to tho next congress to be held in London in 1933, the French having strongly opposed their readmission at the previous congress at Brussels in 1927. The King of Spain gave a reception to tho delegates, and in conversation with him, I was surprised to find that he had a considerable knowledge of New Zealand, and especially of the part New Zealand played in the Great War. He is personally interested in the building of a new 1500-bed hospital in Madrid, and discussed all the details, including finance. He hopes that with the completion of this hospital in three years Spanish surgery and medicine will acquire a better status in relation to tho old medical centres in -France and Germany. I also had tho privilege of meeting General Berenguer, the President, and natural successor to do Rivera. Although there is a great deal of discussion in the Spanish newspapers in regard to the restoration of the Constitution, General Berenguer is at present invested with all the powers of dictator." NEW LONDON CLINIC. Speaking of medical matters in London, Mr, Begg said that one of the greatest features of interest was the establishment of a clinic at the upper end of Harley street, inaugurated by 3G of the leading doctors'. Associated with the clinic is a three hundred bed hospital, and all the equipment is on a most lavish scale, tho whole of the iirst iloor being devoted to X-ray diagnosis and treatment and radium. The money was obtained in tho city, and tho banks advanced CO per cent, of the total capital on the grounds and building. The idea is to give patients as luxurious accommodation as they desire and at the same time make provision for the treatment of people without means or in moderate circumstances for an inclusive fee. There is to be a secretary, who deals with patients in regard to the foe, and this is to be distributed to the different members of the team concerned in tho diagnosis and treatment on a ratio of work done. One of tho principles is that" no medical man should have any financial interest in tho concern or shares in the company to avoid the reproach that the doctors are actuated by motives of personal profit. DEVELOPMENTS IN AMERICA. "In America," said Mr. Begg, "I had the privilege of being invited to address several medical and urological societies, and spent five weeks at tho Mayo Clinic at Eoehester, Minnesota, where it was extremely interesting to see the developments which had taken place in that wonderful medical centre in the last threo years. The record department alone, with its forty employees, exhibits one of tho most finished systems of labour and time saving devices in existence. And the electrical signalling apparatus which indicates the position and movements of every member of the staff at any minute throughout the twenty-two-story building, is a monument to the genius and versatility of Dr. Plummer, who invented the system after the electrical companies had said that the demands made were mechanically impossible."