TRACKING DISEASE

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1930, Page 8

TRACKING DISEASE

LABORATORY" SLEUTHS.

The immense services to humanity which may result from medical research work; 'and, conversely, the shortage of skilled workers suitable for carrying on the investigations. These are two points contrasted in the annual report of the Medical Research Council (says the “Daily Telegraph.”) It is the study of virus diseases which the council considers to be particuluarly important at the present time for the cure and prevention of disease.

These virus disease researches are carried out in an invisible underworld of bodies which are so minute that they cannot, be seen by ordinary microscopic means. The report proceeds:

“Undoubtedly particular varieties of virus are the casual agents of some of the most destructive diseases known to us. When the appropriate virus in minute quantity is introduced into the animal, or th© plant which it can infect, then there may occur with almost incredible rapidity an unseen and unexplained multiplication of it throughout all parts of the organism attacked. Proof of this is shown in that a minute portion of any of those parts will bo found able to infect another similar organism, and in this will be repeated again the same swift unaccountable multiplication. “No detective story has ever offered more puzzling features than this to the curious mind. The reward for the solution of the present mysteries will I certainly be immense in the new control it will bring over diseases that kill by the million, and another kind of rejward will almost certainly be found in the new illumination that discovery of the laws governing the structure and behaviour of these virus bodies will give within the unknown territory, between living and non-living matter. “In this subject, however, only work of tho highest technical skill is of any avail at all, and the total number of men now engaged in ail parts of this field of inquiry is very small. They can bo usefully recruited only from among men intensively trained, and of these only men of exceptional ability arelikely to make much progress. There is no doubt, however, that special effort ought to be made to increase the number both from tho medical side and from the agricultural side, and with a view to work either at home or in the tropics.’’

“What, is the inducement,” asks the council in. another passage, “now held out to an able young man to make his life-career in advancing knowledge in clinical medicine? A man fit to receive a. research grant in this field, whether from tho council or any other responsible source, is a man who will be well trained as a. clinician as well as skilled in laboratory work. This double ability exposes him to double temptation. “Upon the clinical side lie is under continual temptation to exchange the present uncertainty of promotion and ultimate reward in scientific clinical work for tho relative certainties of professional practice. Brilliant success in research, even if measured by high international standards of value, will bring him at best a moderate fixed sal-

ary. But moderate ability combined with good luck in professional practice may make him a rich man. “The second temptation comes from another side, but it is equally strong. It. is the temptation to leave clinical research for purely laboratory work in one of the recognised and well-organ-ised sciences, which do at least offei" relative certainties of fair promotion, and to look for advancement along the ordinary lines of an academical career in the university world.” Proposals are submitted for meeting this difficulty. The council wishes to recruit in the near future young workers of ability who are prepared to make this branch of medical study their life work,