A CHAT WITH A. NEW ZEALAND DOCTOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 2

A CHAT WITH A. NEW ZEALAND DOCTOR.

ADVANCES L\" SURGERY. (From Our Own Coimesfoxdknt.) LONDON, June l\. AVould you mind telling mo Gornething aliout the result 01' your present investigations in this country so far as they ha.ve gone? I said to a well-known New Zealand doctor in the course of a recent conversation. I am aware, of course, of all the objections to anything like self-advorjise-ment on tho part of doctors, but this is in 110 way involved in what I propose. I merely wish to let my New Zealand rendera know tho latest that can at present bo said upon a subject which in of vita! interest to all.

i"No," replied my visitor. "I have no objection, provided you adhere strictly to the lines you indicate. Indeed, I shall be very happy to tell you how inuttera in connection with my profession as a surgeon have struck me during my present visit. As you are aware. I have come Home to observe for myself all the latest improvements and developments in surgery, many of which, can only ho studied ac-. practised 011 tho spot. You see, it is eight years since I was last in England, and there has been great progress during that period."

Has it struck you that much advance has been made in surgery generally? "An immens? advance," replied the doctor, " particularly in certain special 'branches. Above all, there has been a surprising development of tho use of electric appliances, such as the X pays, and the Finsen light in the oase of lupus and other more or less cutancous di >i asps Ymi member, of courso, what an interwt Qiwn 'Alexandra has taken in the I'insen mode of treatment, and how earnestly she ks encouragcd the extension of its use. The inventor, Dr Finson, is, as you, know, a countryman i?f her Majesty." Is tho application attended with any pain to tho patient? " None at all," said the doctor. " Some prasnre is at first employ;*! to drive the Wood from the affected surface. Then a very powerful beam of electric light, concentrated from several incandescent lamps, is directed upon the spot through double lenses, between which water is kept flowing, 'l'lio nurses, with the aid of dark glasso; to protect their oyes from the glare, can watch- tho progress and judge exactly when it has gono on long enough. Tho'rewlts are finite astonishing in their suecessfulr.es?. The X rays, too, live used in various highly effective way 3." Has cither of these methods proved in any degree efficacious in cases of cancer? Something to that effect was hinted at recently by a London paper. I 3 there any foundation for the report?" "Net in true cases of carcinouma or genuine cancer," answered tho doctor. "So far. unhappily, that disease is wholly beyond tho reach of any known remedy, it is being most carefully and ardently studied in all parts of the civilised world in the earnMt- hope that one day its etiology may be understood, which would almost certainly be the prelude to euro-possibilities, Sut hitherto it has remained a complete pu?.?.le. AVo still know nothing definitely as. to it* process or true origin." But do von not think that these will ultimately be discovered, and a euro become possible?

"I hope so." said the doctor. "You see. it is certain that wo have at last completely grasped the nature of phthisis, or consumption, and know exactly how to treat it. But w© aro rather slow in .this country in putting our knowledge to practical use. I I recently spent, a most interesting time in j America. There is no lmsilafion there in I enforcing tho precaution-! which scionoe has j shown to bo necessary. If a man spits in : a public conveyance he is liable to bo fined ; ICOdol, and to bo imprisoned for 12 months i also. Tho Americana do not triflo with ; s «ch important matters as the miblie health, i L?t them once be convinced that a certain ; enurso is necessary and it has to bo done. ; There are no two ways about that. Anil ; tho effects cannot fail to bo beneficial. So j we may sonu,- day learn'what is the real ! cause of cancer, and, having, learned that, ' "wo ought to bo able to cure, if not to i prevent, • it." Operations are much more freely performed now, are they not, than was the case a few years ago? | "Undoubtedly," was the reply. "And' many lives are consequently saved and much illness and'suffering averted. Take such a relatively simple matter as the re.moval of tho tonsils. I daresay you remember that one medical authority has eaiil, only use of the tonsils b to became diseased," and another has asserted -that their principal function is to provide hos- ; pital subjects. There is no doubt a vast j amount of sickness and suffering, especially {in the case of children whose air-pa?s.iges j they obstruct. Well, now their removal is : the simplest everyday proceeding. One I doctor told me he had removed 110 fewer i than 700 tonsils in the course of a siugle ; yeav. His patients will have reason to be grateful td him in after life. Then, again, take the case of appendicitis, of which yoti 'hear so much in the present day. It is 'believed that 90 per cant, of the fatal cases of peritonitis, which used to lis so common, ■were due to inflammation of that troulilpseme little internal appendage, whose ut-ilitv nobodv has as yet been able to discover or

gtIPSS." Here my visitor explained elaborately the position of the appendage, the causes which rendered its inflammation so common, and the means by which it bec-auie, when inflamed. so exceedingly dangerous to tho internal economy of a tinman being. . "Yet now," he continued, "it can lie very readily dealt with by tho modern operation, which is an rnonr.«iiß boon to suffering humanity, and has already saved numbers of_ valuable lives. There are many somewhat similar instance in which "hodem ■surgery is able, by means of a safo and simple operation, to afford relief to sufferers. who even a few years ago would have been doomed to death or prolonged misery."