MEDICAL CONGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 21632, 30 January 1934, Page 5

MEDICAL CONGRESS

CANCER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

DOMINION DELEGATE'S IMPRESSIONS

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WELLINGTON, January 29. Observations on the discussions at the fourth session of the Australasian Medical Congress, which was held at Hobart from January 14 to January 21, were given by Dr J. A. Doctor, of Wellington, on bis return by the Marama from Sydney. Hr Doctor said that so much had to be done that each man could see and hear the work of only his own section, butr the general note struck seemed to be a sifting and re-assembling of past knowledge rather than any startling prophecy of what the future of medicine might hold. The general symposium of cancer and cancer _ research was, from a public point of view, the most interesting part of the conference, and the statistics furnished by Dr Sumpston, Director-General of Health for the Commonwealth of Australia, were not cheering. The research work undertaken by men of ' clear and critical understanding was recognised, as was also the fact that in actual treatment, surgery alone did not hold the field, but that the pathologist, physicist, biochemist, and radium and X-rav experts should also decide as to what line of treatment would give the most lasting results. With early diagnosis, treatment remained most hopeful. ~ , ~ , “In other departments, he added, “ the trend of opinion is that many troubles which some years ago surgery alone could help are now amenable to less heroic measures, but that when surgery is indicated it should be entirely adequate. The person concerned rather than the disease diagnosed seems to be rightly bsCPffliPg the basis Af aU