HEALTH OVERSEAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23931, 5 October 1939, Page 2

HEALTH OVERSEAS

DISPLAYS AT WORLD FAIR EDUCATING THE PUBLIC GERMAN PHYSIQUE IMPRESSED DR HERCUS One of the greatest impressions brought back from a world tour by i> C. E. Hercus, dean of the Otago Medictl Faculty, v/as of the social services and health exhibits at the New York World Fair at which he spent some time during his visit to the United States. Both the British display showing the growth of social services and the exhibit of the New York Academy of Medicine were brilliant pieces of work and had to be seen to be believed. Dr Hercus also attended an international meeting of physical education at Stockholm and returned to New Zealand with some interesting impressions on the health and physical education of various nations. Brilliantly Conceived "The exhibit of the growth of social services in Great Britain was a brilliant piece of work," Dr Hercus said, " and it represented a new departure in displays at an international exhibition. The whole Public Welfare Hall was brilliantly conceived, and was one of the attractions of the World Fair. Thousands of people queued up to see its many wonders. There was a model 15foot long of changing Britain showing the progress that has been made throughout the ages. A typical town at the time when the Pilgrim Fathers sailed to America was shown, and the progess made during the industrial revolution right up to the present time was graphically displayed. Emphasis was laid on housing reform, slum clearance, unemployment problems, the health of the mother and child, and such social services. Moving diagrams showed how the national insurance scheme worked, and everything could be followed with the greatest ease. The whole British court was wonderfully done, interesting features being the original Magna Carta and the family tree of George Washington, whose descent was traced right back to English kings." "Ten years were spent in working up the medical and public health display of the New York Academy of Medicine, which was carried out with the help of the American Public Health Association," Dr Hercus continued. " The display showed people what modern knowledge offered the public in the prevention of disease and the conservation of life. The whole display was based on the thought that of all things man was the most wonderful. In a dimly-lit room was a model of a man 20 feet high and the various parts of the bodv could be seen, with the heart beating rhythmically. Round the figure were working models showing the different functions of the human body. Besides this, there was a hall showing the various disturbances from tht. normal. There was a transparent man made of cellon, and members of the public could see the chief organs of the body and the effect of various disturbances on them. It was a wonderfully iastructive Ksson in physiology and general health." The whole World Fair was wonderfully carried out. Dr Hercus said, and the 200 buildings illustrated the dignity and beauty of modern architecture. The theme of the fair was the building of the world of to-mor-row, and this effect v/as brilliantly carried out. Overseas Physical Education Dr Hercus said that he could not help being impressed with the emphasis laid on physical education in overseas countries Particularly in European countries this branch occupies an important place in education. Dr Hercus attended an international physical education meeting—the Lingiad—at Stockholm, at which he represented the New Zealand Government. "It was a wonderful experience, he said, "for there were gymnastic teams from the important countries of Europe taking part It was there that I first came up against the German physical health movement. Germany sent a liner with 500 picked men and 500 girls, and I have never seen nor could wish to see a finer lot of young men and women. Wonderfully developed and perfectly uniform, they made a great impression. They gave a brilliant massed display, but there was something sinister about their exercises. They all seemed to have the background of war and suggested infantry training, such as scrambling over walls, getting through barbed-wire entanglements, and crawling under fences. Later. I was to see the effect of this movement in Germany itself, when I was deeply impressed with the wonderful nhysiaue of the vouth of the nation.

" The displays of the Scandinavian countries were also very interestin?, for they showed a high standard of development and physical health They were particularly interesting to me, for they showed what can be achieved in a democracy like our own. The British display was quite different from the German. It consisted more of individual efforts than massed displays. The health of the British people has improved markedly." Dr Hercus added " Great improvements have been made in nutrition, housing, and clothing, but the British people have still a long way to go to achieve our standard."