PROGRESS OF SURGERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19194, 7 December 1925, Page 10

PROGRESS OF SURGERY.

INVESTIGATIONS ABROAD. SIR DONALD McGAVIN'S TOUR. THE TREATMENT OF CANCER. Major-General Sir Donald McGavin, who resigned his post as director-general of medical services over a year ago. returned by the Aorangi yesterday from a twelve months' visit to England, Europe and America. During his absence he has made a careful study of the latest practices in modern surgery, investigating the methods of the world's foremost surgeons and inspecting the principal surgical aisd medical clinics in the countries he visited. Ifc is his intention to resume his practice of consulting surgeon in Wellington. Sir Donald touched briefly on a number of topics of interest to New Zealand in the course of a hurried interview after landing from the Aorangi last evening. "During the whole of my trip abroad I have seen nothing really original in the world of surgery," he declared. " Thero has been general progress in technique in the past few years, a more scientific investigation of surgical discoveries and an improvement in the methods of diagnosis, but nothing that I would call singularly original." He mentioned that he spent twelve days at the Mayo clinic at Rochester, Minnesota, and attended the annual congress of the American College of Surgeons held at Philadelphia a year ago, when about 2500 surgeons from all parts of the world met in conference. On that occasion he was elected a fellow of tho American institution. Referring to the Spahlinger treatment for tuberculosis, Sir Donald said the position regarding the inventor's alleged results was still unsatisfactory. He understood, however, that an arrangement had recently been made whereby a quantity of the Spahlinger serum was to become available for experiment by a special committee appointed by the British Government. This committee would try out some of the material on tubercular cattle, under conditions of proper control. If this scheme came to anything it would be the first time, bir Donald believed, that the Spahlinger treatment had been submitted to a proper scientific investigation. If the treatment were found effective in the case of the rattle, it might be presumed that it would be equally satisfactory in the human field.

Speaking of the attempts being made to find a cure for cancer, Sir Donald said that steady progress was being made in the study of radio therapy, that is, the use of radium and the X-rays, but it was still the opinion of all competent authorities that, except in a few exceptional cases, radio therapy could not replace surgical operations. Statements had recently been made in Toronto by Dr. Blair Bell, of Liverpool, England, as to the efficiency of an injection of a preparation of lead, but it would appear to have not yet been subjected to a sufficiently dependable test to justify the conclusions made for it. Some time ago experiments had been made with copper in the same way with apparent success in a very few cases. Sir Donald speaks very highly of the wonderful hospitality he met in America, particularly the kindness he received at Rochester. He had noted with interest, too, that a similar hospitalitv and courtesy was extended to travellers in Germany. The people he had met there seemed extremely anxious to show him everything they could. Sir Donald and Lady McGavin will leave this evening for Wellington.