BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 11673, 4 February 1902, Page 3

BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

NEW ZEALAND BLANCH. The following concludes our icooi t of yes terdny’s proceedings; NEXT ANNTTAT, MI'KTIVO. At the special request of the Nelson section, it was decided to hold the next annual meeting at Nelson. ovfick-bxakhrs. Dr Collins (Wellington) was appointe ‘ chairman of the Council, Dr Mason (health officer) editor of the ‘Journal,’ and Dr Campbell general secretary. NOTIFICATION' OF INFRCT!OES DISEASES. The following recommendations from the Nelson section were deferred for consider,! tionThat the delegate be, instructed to urge tho Council to use its best effons towards a payment being provided for the notification of infectious diseases according to the custom that prevails in (treat Britain. (2) That the Nelson section is of the opinion that the notification of infectious disease a the health officer be sufficient, leaving the health officer to notify further if necessary. (3) That the delegate he instructed to urge the Council to use all endeavors to get the Health Department to alter the, present form for notifying infections disease hj” eliminating the" right of the chemist "i notify, ami also to excise the word ‘suspected.’ ” T'RTvSIORxnAT, ADDRESS. Previous to giving his presidential address in the evening, Dr Colquhoun extended a cordial welcome to Dunedin to the visiting members of the Association _ from other parts of the colonv. He said H could assure the visitors that they were as welcome to Dunedin as Dunedin members were to other parts of the colony adhere meetings of the Association had been held. The greatest hospitality had been extended to visitors in the northern parts of the, colony, and they would endeavor to return that hospitality now that they had an op port unity of doing so. The citizens looked upon the visitors as their honored guest'. Their present gathering was the sixth meeting of. the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association. Although many of them were doubtful about joining the Homo Association, they were now aL practically satisfied that tlte movement had been a good one. One result of the amalgamation wa^*that they had the best metical journal in the world, and they had al?j an excellent local journal. Under the original arrangement the medical men of th J colony were split up into a number J separate bodies. They had their Medici 1 . Association in Otago (which called itself the New Zealand, Association), another in Wellington, another in Christchurch, another in Auckland, and so on. It was owing to the efforts of the Auckland branch that the New Zealand Association was formed. Then Dr Hacon, of Christchurch, as then were aware, had exerted himself until thev were now a branch of the British Medical Association. In their branch they had now 279 members. That represented the bulk of the medical men of the colony. But ’t did not represent all, and he saw no reason why all the country medical men should not he members of the branch. The privileges would well repay the membership fee. After reference to the losses the Association had suffered through death of members, he paid a hearty tribute to the worth and unselfishness of the late Dr Irving, of Christchurch. They all knew what enthusiasm and unselfishness that gentleman had thrown into the work of the benevolent branch and defence union—work which brought a man no particular glory, and was the most unselfish work a man could be engaged in. In regard to the public health, a deputation of their Association had waitc-d on Mr Seddon and urged that instead cl certain proposed drastic legislation dealing with public health reform, the Govemme' t should endeav«p to do for men what they

•were doing for beasts. They had departments dealing, with cattle and horses and other animals, and the Association urge that a Public Health Department suoul also be established. He did not think the'r recommendations had the slightest enC't upon the Government, and it was probably the abject public fear created over the bubonic rats that they had to thank for the creation of the Public Health Departmen . In connection with that department they had to congratulate themselves on the appointment of Dr Mason as health officer for the colony of New Zealand. His appointment commended itself to the whole of the profession throughout the colony. Toe presence in the department of Mr Gilruth who had done so much for bacteriologic'l science in New Zealand, was also a matter for congratulation. And it was also gratifying to members of the Association in this part of the country that the Government saw its way to appoint Dr Ogston as health officer of the district. Referring _o the local medical journal, he said if the journal was not up to the standard som a members would like to see it, those memhe’s had themselves to blame for not contributing more to its pages. He thought the journal and the Association should he more liberally supported by country medical met. and he thought no medical man had a rig -t to stand out of such a Medical Association as they had. The president then delivered a lengthy and highly interesting pape"’. showing much literary research, and dealing with the healing and medical art is practised by some of the lower animals, by savages, primitive mankind, and tracing up the professions of surgery and medicine t.its present highly scientific and modern standard. At the conclusion of the address, and at intervals during its delivery, the president was frequently applauded, and on the ra.jtion of Ur Fell (Wellington) and Dr Mason he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his poorer.