THE MAYO CLINIC

Evening Star, Issue 18532, 15 January 1924, Page 9

THE MAYO CLINIC

ACOIDEITT FOUNDS IT. GENIUS PERPETUATES IT. Tho annual meeting of tho Now Z©a> land branch of the Brilflsh Medical Association, ■ which commences, at _ Auckland on the 23th of next month, will be the most important medical gathering that has ever been hold in New Zealand (says the ‘Post’), and the president of the Now Zealand branch of kbo British Medical Association (Dr Garrick Robertson, of Auckland) and the executive are to bo congratulated on hawing induced bo tunny promil- - medical men to visit the dominlort. Many distinguished medical men, not only from Australia, but also from America, havo signified their intention to bo present, Foremost among these is Dr Vv. J. ‘ Mayo, who, with Mb brother, Dr C. H. Mayo, was the fonndor of the worldfamous Mayo Clinic at Rochester, MnurvoHota, United States. Tho origin and growth of tills clinic is quite romantic. "Let ns try to imagine if we cun,” remarked a Wellington medical practitioner who recently visited the <rtinio to a ‘Post 1 roprceenltativo —“let us Imagine if we can what the village of Rochester was like before the Miyo brothers made it famous. It is difficult to imagine a more isolated spot in New Zealand. But toko a village one-quarter the size of Te Kmtij take the Main Trunk Railway away, and then perhaps one can, understand want an extraordinary performance it was of two country doctors to organise the greatest medical and surgical centre in the world, in a place nt least a hundred miles from any town, with no railway communication and roads of the very worst description. A STRANGE BEGINNING. “It all happened through an accident. The authorities were building- a bridge in the outlying districts. A hurricane occurred suddenly, - blew down the construction, killed many of the workers, and injured more. There was no place to nut the Injured. Tho nuns in the local convent 'took the injured -in, and the Mayo brothers attended them. At the conclusion the Mother Superior, who until comparatively recently assisted the Mhyo brothers in all their big operations, said: ‘Now, would not we make good nurses? If we build a hospital, will you patronise us?’Dr W. J. Mayo jumped at this. A hospital wan built, and the Mayos started their work. “Of such a high standard was that work, and of sum extraordinary originality, and so great was the care that tho Mayos took from the very start in following up their results, it so happened that when Dr W. J. Mayo visited the big surgical congresses that were held annually In America and in various parts of the world leading surgeons started asking: ‘Who is this W. J. Mayo?’ “ And snoh has been his brilliancy as a surgeon and such Iris organising ability that he has kept the wond asking that ever since, or has satisfied its curiosity by forcing leading medical men from all parts of tho world to make a pilgrimage to Rochester to see the work for themselves. So great was the interest taken in the Mayo brothers' work at tho commencement that the lending doctor, Murphy, of Chicago, one of America’s greatest surgeons, made a special trip to Rochester to see if these things were true, and returned to toll his countrymen that not one-half had been said. LARGEST CLINIC IN THE WORLD.

“From the very modest beginning that these two brothers made, they have today in this small village surrounded themselves by the largest clHo in the world. There is hardly a part of the human body subject to disease which has not its specialist, with all modern means of investigation of the diseases to which It is prone.

“They have collected around them (several hundred medical men—most of them leading experts—with the finest medical organisation ever tmanged by private enterprise. Around these eoepente there has grown up huge hospitals, clinks, and laboratories for tho investigation of disease, and with tho perfection of technique. Quite recently the Mayo blathers have handed tills great organisation over to the University of Minnesota, so that on their death ftg perpetuation for all time miciht be assured.

“ To-day everyone in this huge organisation, including trio klnyo brothers themselves, works on a salary, and in order that undue profits may not be made by the authorities out of the clinic, the Mayo brothers insist that any surplus profit shall be indirectly handed back to the public by the instituting of scholarships and the offering of facilities for the improvement of medical science, especially hi the direction of tine prevention of disease. Thus the world’s public—for there are patients there from almost every part of the world—indirectly contribute to their own welfare throush the advancement of medical science. And it is quite possible that in this latter respect a gratafnJ world will dhiefly respect the names of these two great founders of this centra for the diffusion of medical knowledge, for few men have done more to point out tlhe great gift that preventive medicine has to offer to a suffering world. '“Tho first duty of the State is to protect the people from ill-health’ ; ‘SO per cent, of all sickness is preventable.’ These two well-known quotations Dr W. J. Mayo seems never tired of repenting; and in offering his famous institute to tno University of Minnesota under the terms he has specified he has given a practical demonstration of how these all-important truths may be earned out. WORKING OF TUB CLITIC. "To give a description to the lay mind of tho workings of this clinic is almost impossible. Suffice it to say, as many ns 500 new patients will arrive (My. All particulars are carefully indexed, so that reference may be readily made to their cases in future years. They then pass through the diagnosis department, and from there ore sent to specialists in the particular disease from wbi£h tho patient may be suffering. After full information is collected, not only - about the particular disease, but about the healthfullness or ’otherwise of all organs of the body, the patients are then sent to one or other of the various hospitals for _ treatment or operation; and no operation is undertaken until a physician has decided that tho patient is fit" for operation, and that tho prospects of recovery are good. A STRIKING PERSONALITY'. "It is difficult to give any pen-picture of Dr W. J. Mayo, bolt visitors who have come in contact with him are _ immediately struck by his alert personality; and, apart from his surgical ability, are impressed chiefly by his organising powers. He is a very hard worker, and is entirely obsessed in the work of bis profession and its infinite possibilities. He believes that* no tired man can do good work, so that almost eveiy important post at the Mayo Institute is duplicated—one man w'orldng while the other is travelling and gaining experience, which, on bis return, he imparts to his confreres. It is the custom in this clinic for tho whole of the staff to meet once a week, and at that meeting fresh information, gathered from returning travellers, from the latest periodicals, and from work in tho clinic, is freely discussed. Thus, never a week passes without some improvement suggested, some fault freely ventilated, and its recurrence sought to be prevented. SKILL AND NEW IDEAS. “Many instances are known of Dr W. J. Mayo’s extraordinary foresight or in-stinct-perceiving what was of real importance from the commencement. There is more than one instance remembered of his securing the services of a young medical man who has furnished a new idea— Dr Mayo having perceived the possibilities of that idea, and perceiving tho almost certainty that the young man working by himself would take many years to be recognised or have his ideas adopted,

whereas under his (Dr Mayo’s) aegis and that of his clinic an immediate result was obtained, and a benefit given to the world. In all cases the Mayos havo taken care that the originator of any successful innovation gets full credit for- Ms discovery or his work.

“Tho ideals of the Mayos are shown in the following declaration made byi Mr W. J. Mayo at tho laying of the foundation stone of a new portion of the clinic in 1912: ‘The object of this building is to furnish a permanent house, wherein scientific investigation can bo made into the causes of tho diseases which afflict mankind, and wherein every effort shall be made to cure the sick and suffering. It is the hope of the founders of this building that in its use the high ideals of .the medical profession ‘ will always be maintained. Within its walla all classes of people, the poor as well aa the rich, without regard to color or creed, shall be cared for without discrimination. ’

DR D. M. WILSON’S VISIT TO ROCHESTER. Dr D, Macdonald Wilson, medical superintendent of tho Wellington Hospital, during his recent visit to America to inquire into the latest developments in hospital construction and administration, with the view to utilising the information so gained in connection with the projected now hospital buildings in Wellington, spent considerable time at the Mayo Cfinic, and had the advantage not only of thoroughly inspecting the Mayo Institute, but also of personal conference with Dr W. J. Mayo, Dr 0. H. Mayo ; and many of the specialists connected with the clinic. He amet Dr Franklin H. Martin, directorgeneral of the American College of Burgeons. Dr Wilson stated that in 1916 Dr C. H. Mayo and Dr W. J. Mayo created the Mayo Foundation, which they endowed with 2,000,000d0l to provide for tho University of Minnesota a graduate medical school, teaching to be done in the Mayo Clinic at Rochester. Some idea, he said, of tho responsibilities of the administrative department of the Mayo Clinic and of the organisations with which it works in the interests of its patients may be gleaned from toe following: Approximately 57,000 patients will be cared for this year. The buildings and equipment and endowment of the clinic represent an investment of 10,000,000d01. There are 262 on the professional staff 161 fellows and 101 permanent staff members. The non-professional personnel of the clinic is about 60Q. Approximately 1,600 beds are almost in constant demand by patients, and 1,500 nurses are in service. DOCTORS FROM ALL LANDS. ' -Dr Wilson stated that, as is well known, the clinic is of world-wide fame, and in some proof of this, while there lie met doctors from England, Czecho-Slo-valda, Germany, Spain, South America, and Australia, all of whom bad been attracted by the fame of the clinic. Apart from his skill as a surgeon, Dr W. J. Mayo impresses one by his energy, enthusiasm, and organising ability. The thoroughness of the work carried out in the institute under bis control is a marked feature, and there is patently the desire to give the patients the best that medical skill can devise. Dr W, J. Mayo receives a salary, and is not financially concerned in the finances of the institution beyond that. All the profits from the clinic go to the funds of the Mayo Foundation and to tho Minnesota University.