“A MAORI CHIEF”

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11784, 21 March 1924, Page 9

“A MAORI CHIEF”

AND A GREAT SURGEON D.R. MAYO, AMERICA, ON "HOW TO LIVE.” AN INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS. Dr. W. J. Mayo and his party—Dr. Franklin Martin., of Chicago, DirectorGeneral of the College of Surgeons of America, and America’s leading medical and surgical editor; Dr. Richard Hart, Emeritus Professor of Surgery at the Philadelphia University; Dr. Richard Smith, vice-president of the American Gynaecological Society; and Mr Kohler, head of the Colonial Hospital, with 1200 beds, Rochester, Minnesota'—were the guests of honour at the Rotary Club luncheon at the Y.M.C.A. yesterday. “FIRST DUTY OF STATE.” Dr. Herbert (chairman) in introducing Dr. Mayo to the largo gathering, said that in him Wellington Rotarians were entertaining one who had justly earned the distinction of being considered ono of tho world’s greatest Burgeons; one who, with his equally famous brother, had been a foremost pioneer in regard to preventive medicine. • (Applause.) As Dir. Mayo had said, 50 per cent, of the sickness and resulting sorrow and suffering was preventible; and he had laid down the principle that to secure the health of the people must be the first duty pf the State, that the State must he held responsible if the people were allowed to drift into ill-health through ignorance or neglect. (Applause.) It would be a nappy day for tliis, or for any country, when it got a statesman who would grasp the infinite possibilities of preventive medicine. Dr. Mayo had rendered immense service to the world by founding and developing with his brother tho famous Mayo Institute, and then lending it to the University of Minnesota, on tho condition that they should only take 10 per cent, of the profits and hand the balance over for the benefit of the poor of tho world. That was a service that might make United Rotary envious; and when the history of medicine came to he written, the gift of the Mayo Institute would be considered one of the greatest gifts that our greatest men had ever presented to tho public. (Applause.) THE NEWER EDUCATION. Dr. Mayo, who was greeted with loud applause, and the singing of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” in both English and Maori, said that he

would face the same bright faces, stalwart, sturdy bodies, and alert minds that he then saw before him in any city in. Canada and the United States. He had been particularly impressed with the Maori welcome, he remarked, because it came to a Maori chief. (Daughter.) Up in Rotorua, amid impressivs eloquence ' and ceremonial, he had been made a chief of the Arawa tribe. (Applause.) Bo had rubbed noses with a beautiful young lady, and reoeiyed the tomahawk and one of those basket-work covers that took the place of the figleaf of the early Adam period. (Laughter.) Speaking on some of the newer features of education, Dr. Mayo said that America, like New Zealand, had derived her literature, science and art, laws and methods or government from the same Old Country, but in some respects they had made changes. Education was supposed to he for culture in the old days; and nothing was cultural unless it was useless. The anatomy and physiology of plants, stone, earth, and stars was quite cultural; but as the anatomy of man and bis physiology could be used professionally, they got no credit for that. (Laughter.) If they went- into the heredity of that Idea wo found some strange things coming out. (Hear, hear.) Here in Now Zealand, he saw a sturdy people with work to do, ladies complaining that they had difficulty in getting help, and doctors largely driving their own cars; and he got the impression that we were a people at Work, 'chat there was no great wealth, but great general prosperity, which was much better. (Applause.) Wo had got the substantial things. Ije,and his friends had travelled up and down the country, and had no fault to find. There were no great luxuries, but everything was good, honest, comfortable, and substantial. (Applause.) KEEP THE RAGE PURE. A people that wanted to get good use of its mopey for luxuries must have other people ooming in all the time willing to wait upon them; and that was where America had stored up lots of trouble. They had let in tho negroes and also inferior races from the Balmains and other Near Eastern countries. The Maoris were a superior race. He said that as a ohief. (Laughter.) But the negro did not get beyond eleven years old. Ho had a vote; but by legal hocuspocus, he was not allowed to use it. (Laughter.) In America they had diluted the race by importing all these people to work for them, but we in New Zealand had not mongrelised our race, and he hoped we never would. (Applause.) VALUE OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE. We bad a great deal to learn yet as to the value of preventive medicine. Each man who stuck to the old habits of life wias writing down the date of his death, • and a comparatively early date, too, in indelible ink; but the man who went to his doctor every sis

months for an overhaul and took hi* advice, was writing the date of his death in ordinary toad pencil that could be erased, and the date oou’d be put further and further ahead. One of the great faults to-day -was that we were eating too much, and then attempting to work it off by taking exercise once or twice a week. Typhoid had now 'been largely wiped out, thanks to preventive medicine. Good drinking water had been brought into every town and city in tho United States, and that _ was what had brought about prohibition. (Laughter.) In Vienna, the introduction of a pure water supply from the mountains had unconsciously reduced the consumption of alcoholic drinks 40 per oent. No country could have prohibition until it had a pure water supply, because water carried so often those things that brought about hreumatism, fevers, and diseases < f the heart and other vital organs. We had now pasteurised our milk, with the result that our children lived and were safe; they had seen them running about the streets sturdy and strong, and we had the smallest mortality ot any country in the world. (Applause.) That was the result of the newer education, teaching us how to live, so that wo could live longer and have less sickness, disability, and diseases that took us away from our work. SUGGESTED HOSPITAL REFORM. Dr. Mayo spoke eulogisiically of what he had seen of the hospitals of New Zealand, both public and private; but urged that rich hospital patients, who could well afford to do so, should pay the medical men who ate tended them as well as their hospital fees. If the medical men of the Dominion were impoverished, they could not possibly take the long tripe that were necessary to enable them to visit other countries and bring back the latest and beet methods. Dr. Franklin Martin spoke strongly on the same lines, and dealt interestingly with a number of subjects, #f also did Dr. Richard Hart. Hearty votes of thanks were accorded the speakers on the of tho chairman; and a verse of the National Anthem brought the proceedings to a close.