“INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18348, 12 September 1921, Page 4

“INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE.”

Among the papers read before the meeting of the British Medical Association in July, not the least astonishing in some respects was that in which Dr Edgar L. Collis discussed the importance of "industrial medicine" to the community. There are people who believe that the way to health consists in the avoidance of medicine, in the popular connotation of the term, and there is something to be said for their viewpoint. But Dr Collis has not proposed that the workers of the Old Country shall become wholesale consumers of drugs, very nice though that might be for the prescribing practitioners. What he is aiming at is the raising of the standard of industrial health, - claiming, as he does, that thereby a saving representing an enormous sum of money could be effected every year. He emphasises the immense possibilities that might attend the introduction of a more abundant measure of fresh air, sunlight, cleanliness, and wholesome food into the life of the worker, and he urges that the standard set in these matters by those who control industry would spread from the factory to the home. >, He submits that, as a result of medical supervision of entrants to industry, and of hygienic conditions of employment, an immense be effected,,and; that this may be supplemented by another saving of great magnitude on lost time. Dr Collis states his case in the form of the following proposition:— Industrial * medicine properly applied can effect a saving each year on labour turnover of from sixty to seventy millions, on lost time of fifty to sixty millions, and through industrial convalescence of many millions more. Put the total at £140,000,000 on a conservative estimate. There are to-day something over 40,000 doctors in the kingdom; the cost, if industry employed half, the profession and gave each doctor £2OOO a year for whole-time work, wbuld amount to £40,000,000 a year, leaving, a handsome balance: of £100,000,000 a .year. Such wholesale engagement of the "profession is not proposed, and, indeed,, is not- needed. . The figures are only u> stanced to demonstrate that industry by developing industrial medicine has the. promise; of great profit> while it fulfils a ' great social service. Apparently nobody has had the hardihood to challenge the figures quoted by Dr Collis, which are certainly impressive; Not unimpressive, also, as medical practitioners are well aware, is the rooted objection which some people seem to have to such things as fresh air and cleanliness. •