MEDICAL CONGRESS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1923, Page 5

MEDICAL CONGRESS

— FIVE WORST DISEASES. (Australian and N.Z. Cable LONDON', July 25. Dr Charles Chi ide, in his Presidential Address, before the Congress of the British Medical Association, at' Portsmouth, said : “The five most formidable epidemic scourges to-day are cancer, tuberculosis, rickets, venereal disease, and alcoholism.” He emphasised the evil effects of slum conditions. Omitting cancer, of which little was known, he said that tuberculosis and rickets accounted for most of the

cripples; cancer, tuberculosis, venereal disease and alcoholism accounted for most of the deaths; and venereal disease and alcoholism accounted for most of the misery and moral degradation of their race. 'Taking the cost of the country’s sickness and disablement at £150,000,1 000 annually, said Dr Childe, the ‘ country could afford to spend £50,000,- * 000 annually or £1,000.000,000, capitalised at 5 per cent., in clearing the slum areas.