HOSPITALS AND HYGIENE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22710, 24 October 1935, Page 12

HOSPITALS AND HYGIENE

IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGLAND

NEW ZEALAND SURGEON IMPRESSED

(Special to Daily Times)

AUCKLAND, October 23

Improvements in the hygiene and in hospital buildings in Great Britain were commented upon by the noted New Zealand surgeon, Sir Donald M'Gavin, of Wellington, who arrived at Auckland by the Rangitiki after a holiday of six months, during which he visited England and the Continent. Sir Donald, who was accompanied by Lady M'Gavin, left for Wellington by the Limited express. " I could not help noticing the rebuilding of some of the largest hospitals in England, including the Middlesex Hospital and St. Bartholomews, which is being undertaken to bring them up to date," said Sir Donald. " It is amazing to realise that this is all being done by voluntary public subscriptions, which have realised incredible sums. There is a lot to be said for the British system of maintaining their hospitals purely on endowments and public subscriptions instead of by rates and Government subsidy derived from taxation as is done in New Zealand. When man has been taxed to support a hospital he is not likely voluntarily to subscribe further to its upkeep, whereas an Englishman takes pride in giving money to keep his institutions going." Sir Donald said he did not think it possible that a reversion to the voluntary system could be brought about in New Zealand, as that possibility had been killed by the present system. In any case New Zealand differed from England in that the Dominion did not have a number of wealthy people and wealthy manufactories to subscribe to hospital institutions as was the case in England. The improvement of the hygienic conditions and medical treatment had been impressed upon him by his visit to England. Better health and education had produced a better type of child with a greater degree of intelligence, which wai very noticeable. It had also prolonged human life very considerably, and by doing so was raising another problem, that of the care of the older people. This, however, was not a problem peculiar to England, but was world-wide. Sir Donald, who also revisited Germany, said the people there seemed to be very happy and healthy. The country was very carefully cultivated, the cities very clean and the youth very alert. Although people were poor there was no external evidence of poverty. The outdoor movement had a great vogue, and in places such as the Bavarian Alps they could be seen out in parties hiking and cycling. The movement had spread to England, where one could see young people with tanned and healthy skins tramping through the countryside.