MEDICAL CONGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 18884, 7 March 1925, Page 9

MEDICAL CONGRESS

REGENT MT. GOOK GATHERING 1 Tho conference-of the Now Zealand branch of the British Medical Association was held at tho Hermitage from February 21 to Fab- J jruary 28, and it (proved one of the most in- | a tractive and enjoyable gatherings yet held ’! by the dominion medicos. In the .absence from Dunedin of Dr Carswell, secretary of tho Otago Branch of the British Medical Association, one of the other delegatee kindly supplied, an ‘Evening Star’ reporter to-day with a short account of the gathering.

He stated that a new departure had been' made this year in the fact that the conference, which was attended by about j eighty medicos from all parts of the do -j 'minion, was held at the Hermitage. It was-j rather a rash experiment, but -it proved a highly successful oiw, and no doubt many" other organisations will follow in the foot-, steps of the doctors in the, matter of locale for their annual conference. The weather ■ was not. in its most generous mood, bull it was strictly fair, the delegates being greeted with three fine and three wet days. It was by no means a picnic gathering, however, and the wet weather proved rather an incentive to work. The Hermitage was - found to he in the hands of a. small army j of carpenters, but the annexe to the dining ] room proved an admirable meeting room. Dr' D. Wilson (superintendent of tho ' Wellington Hospital and Dr Washbourne ; (Nelson), presented papers on ‘Hospital Pol-' icy,’ tho matter being fully discussed by the delegates. The Council of the British Medi- , cal Association will now formulate fi policy which will be sent to the various divisions for confirmation. Tho conclusions arrived at will later be forwarded to The Director- ; General of Health (Dr Valintine). It is understood that the council will approve of < the proposal‘to separate charitable and boapit’al administration, this suggestion having ; been brought forward by Dr A. Falconer . (superintendent of the Dunedin. Hospital). Dr Valintine gave a paper on ‘Taber- , culosis Administration.’ He emphasised tho fact that the home was the key to the whole problem of the eradication the scourge, and made a pica for the private medical man to work in harmony with the Health Department. He drew attention to statistics shewing that tuberculosis was gradually diminishing in New Zealand, and he put this down to the increasingly harmonious relations that existed between tho medical practitioners and the Health Department. Dr G. J. Blackmore, of the Cashmere Hills. Sanatorium, gave an instructive address on tho early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. _ ' The present infantile paralysis epidemio was • also the subject of an iuterestMg discussion. . , __

At the annual dinner the toast of "Tho British Medical Association ” was entrusted to Sir Lindo Ferguson, who gave eu entertaining account of the New Zealand Medical Association, which was the forerunner of the present .branch of the British Medical Association.