MEDICAL CONGRESS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10599, 7 March 1895, Page 2

MEDICAL CONGRESS.

MEETING OF TITS COUNCIL. The Council o£ the New Zealand Medical Association met at the Provincial Council, Chamber at 4 p.m. yesterday, the President (Dr Jennings) occupying the chair. The following motion by tho Canterbury Branch, which had been pefonrad to the Council by tho Congress, was carried : “ That tho professors of biology, physiology had chemistry at the University of New Zealand, and tho curators of the museums at the four centres in New Zealand, not being duly qualified medical practitioners, be honorary members of the New Zealand Medical Association.” Dr Barnett read a report on an intercolonial medical journal, and on the motion of Dr Cno-pnle it wan resolved- “ That Dr Barnett be by this Council to enter iuto communication with tho Australasian medical journals with a view to amalgamation.” A letter from the Canterbury Prohibition League was referred to Congress to deal with. Tho accounts of the New Zealand Medical Journal wore passed, and Dr Barnett was re-clootcd editor. MEETING OF THE CONGRESS. Tho Congress met at 8 p.m.; present— Dr Jennings (president, in tbs chair) and Drs Purdy, Cresey, Thomas, Batchelor, Symea, Da Lisle, Barnett, Chappie, Pultou, Manning, Irving, Moorhouse, B. W. Anderson, Lomox-Srnitb, 0. Horton Anderson, Pairman, JLicon, Murray. Liado Ferguson and Murray-Aynaley (secretary). Dr Thomas read an exhaustive report on typhoid fever and its causes. The President deplored the fact that though between three hundred and four hundred circulars had been ssnt out ashing for information on the question of typhoid favor, only seventeen replies had been received, and but ten of these gave information that wa.3 of use in framing the report. Dr Murray-Aynsley suggested that cancer should bo the subject for tho report to bo brought up at next conference, iu preference to tuberculosis which had been suggested. Dr Purdy advocated that tbs report should bo ou some subject which was more general in practice. Ho would suggest midwifery. After some discussion, it was decided that tuberculosis and cancer should bo the next subjects for investigation, and that tho Otago branch should undertake the work and report to next Congress. Dr Lomas-Smilih then read a lengthy paper on “The Pbilosopy of Disease, a Study in Pathogenesis.” Dc Chappie read .a paper cn “Cases of Hydatids.” Dr Irving submitted a report upon a New Zealand Medical Benevolent Fund, and tho draft rules wore considered seriatim and adopted with slight amendments. The following were elected officers of the fund President, Dr Jennings; vicepresidents, the Presidents.-of tho various branches of tho Now Zealand Medical Association; honorary treasurer, Dr Manning; honorary secretary. Dr Irving; trustees, Dra Nedwill and G._ Morton Anderson; committee, tho foregoing, with Dts Prins, Thomas, Townead and MurrayAynsley. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Dr Irving for the trouble he had taken iu preparing the report and rules of the fund.

A committee was appointed to draft provisional rules for a Medical Defence Fund, and report to a meeting of Congress at 4 p.m. tc-day. A letter was read from the Rev F. W. Isitt, president of the Prohibition League, asking if tee Congress would deliver an opinion on tho physiological of alcohol and state whether ia its opinion, its free use as a beverage was conducive to health or the reverse. After some considerable discussion, the following reply was ordered to bs Bent "That‘the New Zealand Medical Association is desirous of giving a courteous reply to the Prohibition League, but feels that tho question asked aa to the free use of alcohol, which tho Association takes to mean tho excessive use, appears to carry on the face of it its own answer; and tho Association feeis, qlbo, that tho question of the physiological action of alcohol opens too wide a field for consideration at this meeting, with the limited time at its disposal.” At 12.30 a.m. the Congress adjourned till 4 p.m, to-day.