Medical Congress

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 282, 14 November 1923, Page 5

Medical Congress

The Presidential Address RAVAGES OF VENEREAL DISEASE WAR AGAINST CANCER AND TUBERCULOSIS. IBy Cable.—Press Association.--Copyright.) Melbourne, Nov. 13. In his presidential address at the Medical Congress, Dr. G. A- Syiite, referring to the ravages of venereal diseases, said it was estimated that 30 per cent of the population of Australia was affected, representing an economic loss of £50,000,000 annually. Despite the profession having discovered remedies and preventive measures, the disease ravaged the community just the same, causing infinite misery to thousands of innocent people, including children, liecause individual members of the public would not make use of the knowledge given them, and would not exercise self-denial and selfcontrol. Referring to the difficulties surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Dr. Syme declared that one reason why it so often became so firmly established as to be practically incurable was that, except occasionally in its last stages, it was generally pain less. Early radical operation still held out the most hope The essential thing was early diagnosis. Dealing with the problem of the feeble-minded, he said it seemed, on biological evidence, that sterilisation was one of the most scientific and rational methods of preventing some of the great economic loss and social disaster produced by the rapid multiplication of the unfit. He did not claim that sterilisation would abolish mental deficiency, nor that it was the only measure required. .Segregation and restraint with proper care were necessary. It was fatal to train defective children to the age of 18 or 21 and then let them loose on society. He did not recommend that sterilisation should be enforced by law, except, perhaps, on those convicted of sexual offences. Voluntary sterilisation, with the consent of all concerned could, and should, be tried. On the subject of increasing the dur- , ation of human life. Dr. Syme asked whether, even if it were possible, would it be desirable unless youth could bo retained as well ? Researches, however, suggested that not only might life be prolonged, but even youth restored by the surgeon’s art. Dr. Purdy, Sydney City Health Officer. read a paper on tuberculosis in relation to social and economic conditions. He said that in England and Australia the death rate from tuberculosis had been reduced hy about one. half during the past 40 years. In New South Wales in 1880 the death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis was 108 and in 1922 it had fallen to 50 per 100,000. It had been proved that there was direct relationship between the occurrence of tuberculosis and the number of rooms occupied- In Sydney proper, where tuberculosis of the lungs was notifiable, there were records of 3357 cases to the end of 1922. O<* these 2149 were males and 1208 females. In all ages, except from 15 to 24 years, the number of males was greater.than of females. In both sexes the incidence was highest between 25 and 34 years of age. Deaths from pthisis were most numerous between the ages of 25 and 34. Dr. Purdy concluded that the remarkable decline in the tuberculosis death rate synchronised with the improvement in the social and economic state of the masses.