NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20275, 7 June 1929, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

EXCESSIVE LEISURE. Addressing Mm fifth annual congress promoted by the National Union of Students, at Aberystwyth University, Wales,. Mr. C. E. M. Joad drew a picture of what might happen in tho event of people having an excess of leisure which was not properly utilised. The country, ho suggested, would be covered with a network of tennis courts and golf links. Roads would contain ono continuous string of motor-cars, and tho coasts would bo ringed round with a continuous line of seaside resorts at which there would bo vast hotels, on the terraces of which jazz bands would discourse negroid music to tired sportsmen. There would be a deluge of news by television and telephotony. England, ho supposed, would become the pleasure ground of rich Americans. Peoplo would adopt increasingly every kind of esoteric religious creed and cult by which they would hopo to find some'solace for their sick souls. It would be a disaster, because peoplo would 1 presented with a number of long, wearisome hours, which they would bo quito unablo to utilise, and very soon they would bo driven to make \\ar merely to invest their lives with some excitement and adventure. It would lead to a kind of world-wide upheaval. Tho real problem of civilisation was the proper uso of human energy and tho proper employment of human time. A consensus of opinion among peoplo of nil ages and civilisations had been that tho best kind of life was ono that involved tho utilisation of tho highest faculties at concert pitch, tho kind that involved continual effort. It was by happy and useful employment of leisure that civilisation could not" only progress, but could be saved. Leisure should bo used in the direction of energies in the development of intellectual occupation.

TREATMENT OF BURNS. Prominence was recently given by tho Times to a contribution from its medical correspondent referring to an inquiry in Britain to ascertain tho views of the staffs of hospitals about tho treatment of burns by tannic acid. "Tho consensus o! opinion seems to bo that tho tannic acid treatment has not only revolutionised practice but has very greatly reduced tho death-rate," ho wrote. "Before the treatment was introduced it was recognised that the day following a burn was fraught with great danger on account of 'shock'; most of the deaths took place on tl.is day or flic day following. Recent work on shock, notably that of Dale, of tho National Institute of Medical Research, has afforded a conception of tho condition differing entirely from that formerly held. Tho shock which follows burning is due to tho absorption through the skin of decomposition products, histamine-liko substances, which aro produced by tho injury itself. To prevent this absorption is, therefore, to prevent shock. Tho treatment, by tannic acid, which was introduced in America in tho first instance, achieves this object. Tannic acid forms a chemical compound with the decomposition products, and so 'binds* them. They cannot be absorbed. Tho consequence is that no shock occurs and that the patient remains well. Further, the tannic acid produces a firm coating over tho burn which serves as its protection and 'dressing.' There is no painful disturbance of the injured area and there is little or no pain. When the burn has healed the coating drops off. There would appear to be no doubt that this treatment has robbed cases of severe burning of half their danger. The treatment is painless, safe and simplo."-