AUSTRALASIAN MEDICAL CONGRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 25

AUSTRALASIAN MEDICAL CONGRESS.

TO BE HELD IN DUNEDIN. OPENS ON THURSDAY. • 1J? UI ’sday next will see the opening in Dunedin of the Australasian Medical Congress (B.M.A.) —the largest meeting of the medical profession that has ever been held in the Donrinion.. The present conjas a jneir -t>ership of approximately 400, and as many members are accompanied by their wives and daughters fully 600 visitors are expected during congress week. Dr H. Cooper Pattin, of Norwich, fo-merly president of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, will be "the delegate from England ; and there will also be delegates from South Africa, Samoa, and America. Australia will be largely represented, the visitors including Dr S. S. Argvle, Minister of Public Health, Victoria; Majorgeneral G. W. Barker, Director-general of the Army .Services of Australia; Surgeoncaptain ■C. A. Director of Naval Services.; Dr F. A. Pocklev, a former president of the Australasian Congress.: Professor Basil 'Kilvingtcn Profestiir of Surgery, Melbourne', and jProfessor J : C. Windeyer, Professor o'f Obstetrics. Tn there will be a large .representation from the medical fraternity in the Dominion.

The congress, which is now under the aegis of tiie British Medical Association, occupies the place formerly held by the "Intercolonial Medical Congress. The last ■n.oeting 'of the latter bod- to be held in Dunedin was in 1895, and .several Australian medical men who participated then will again' be present. There has been only one meeting of cangTess .in the Dominion since 1896, when, an 1914. Auckland undertook tiie responsibility with great .success. As "these meetings of congress are only triennial, and as New Zealand takes its turn with the various States *>f Australia, it as unlikely that there will be another meeting of this nature an the Dominion for the next 15 or'2o years. At the ordinary annual meetings of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, a certain amount "of time has to "be devoted always purely to business and administrative matters, but at these Australasian Medical Congresses , the matters discussed are purely profes- " .sional and scientific. Naturally, there are many points of boatact between the profession and the public—e«., in the prevention of disease, in diet,- in health administration. etc., and these aspects are ■ placed in the forefront throughout the various meetings. THE FORMAL.OPENING. The congress will be formally opened 1 on Thursday evening, in the Early 1 Settlers’ Hall, when the retiring president, -Sir George Syme, of Melbourne," will install the new president, Dr L. ,E- Barnett. CsM.G., of Dunedin, who will then deliver his" inaugural address. The Downie Stewart will be present, and will speak. The Minister of Health (Mr J. A. Young) will also attend and speak. It is hoped the Hon. A. D. M’Leod will also be present. After the ceremony Dr and Mrs Barnett, will hold a reception in the Art Gallery Hall adjacent. DETAILS OF MEETING PLACES. ; The meetings of congress will be held in the new portion of the Medical School Ml King-./street, .where members will be able to register from Thursday, the opening day. Some of the - larger -meetings "will be held in tire. Octagon Hall, Allen Hall of tiie University, and Burns Hall. In the last will be given a popular lecture i on Saturday evening by Dr P. Buck (Te Rangi Hiroa) on" “The—Coming of the i Maori. Allen Hall will be occupied on < the Friday evening by-a large meeting of - members to discuss “The Relationship between the State, the Hospitals, and the Practitioners.” The regular work of congress is divided among 12 sections. In many instances two or more sections will meet together to discuss matters of interest common to both. At other meetings sections will meet separately to discuss in detail their own particular problems. A HEAVY PROGRAMME. In a congress of this nature, especially where the work is.. so divided, the programme is a lengthy document—indeed, it will occupy about 50 pages of the Official Handbook, which is now almost completed. It is, therefore, obviously impossible to do more than indicate the general nature of the subjects to -be discussed. THE SOCIAL SIDE. i Numerous and varied social entertain-" meats have been arranged. ‘Garden parties l will be given on Saturday and Tuesday afternoons by Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P.,. Chancellor of the Otago University, and Sit John Roberts, "G -respectively, and there will 'be excursions to Waipori—where lunch as to ‘be provided "by the 1 Mayor Rnd City Council of Dunedin t to 1 Waitati, to Warrington, to Mosgiel, to Glerifalloch, N.E. Harbour, etc., etc., and a -cabaret party for the Whole of the visitors will be ;gi<ven at St he 'Savoy on the night -of Wednesday, February 9. Per- ". haps, most .important of all will, "be the separate dinners of .sections and' numerous' private functions where medical men can meat together in .friendly .converse to exchange opinions arid experiences. This is especially useful at.a congress where men i will meet from all parts of Australia and New Zealand, and even from roore distant parts such as Great Britain, .Samoa, South ’ Africa and America. ■ THE SCIENTIFIC WORKL "There are -to be Tour full days of session —Friday, Monday, Tuesday < and Wednesday (February 4,7, 8, arid 9).. ' , " ; to the usual plan, tiie. congress is divided into 12 sections—medicine, surgery, patiiology and so forth—each -of which has Its own programme.". In many instances, two or more sections will combine to diabuss different aspects -of' proof interest -io each of them. The sections will be as follow:— ' ’ ' ‘ 1." Medicine. ■/.'. ‘ ' ’ - 3 Obstetrics and gynaecology. 4. Pathlogy and bacteriology. ....5. Preventive "medicine.

6. Ophthalmology. 7. Otology, phinology, and laryngology 8. Neurology and psychiatry. 9. Pediatrics. 10. Naval and military. ,11. Orthopaedics. 12. Radiology. The following are the principal subjects upon which papers are to 'be read: — GOITRE. This is., a subject of paramount importance in New Zealand and of considerable interest, in many parts of Australia. The profession in New Zealand have sufficient experience to speak with authority on this topic. On the, first morning of congress there will be a large meeting of several sections in which preventive work, largely devised in New Zealand, will be presented, together with original observations on the pathology and treatment. In the afternoon of ’ this day different aspects of the same subject are to be discussed in the sections. HYDATID DISEASE. This is the great disease communicable from animals to man, which is prevalent in all sheep-raising countries, and consequently of great importance throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is to come before several sections. DISEASES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. There - are several important meetings in the sections concerned, and among the speakers are "the professor of gynaecology in the University of Sydney, the Director of Research in the State of Victoria, -and a distinguished gynaecologist from Christchurch. The subjects include puerperal sepsis, difficult labour, the prevention of disease in infancy and childhood, and tuberculosis in -children. SURGERY. Special attention is given to surgery of the alimentary and gent© urinary tracts. DIET. This subject comes before a combined meeting, and will include information about the diet of primitive peoples in the Pacific. NEUROLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY. The subjects in this section are "largely of sociological interest, such as the care of mental defectives and the causes and treatment of mental -disease, especially fn "its minor grades—those most frequently met with. SPASTIC PARALYSIS. The study- and treatment of this -condition were brilliantly expounded at the last congress by the late Professor John Hunter, of Sydney, whose early death is still deplored. The practical developments of his work,will again, be set forth ‘and discussed by the orthopsedic and other sections. CANCER AND TROPICAL ■ DISEASES.

■Cancer -is to be given special consideration, and also the sections dealing with diseases of the eye, ear, nose, and throat, to which some distinguished American surgeons will contribute. ORTHOPAEDIC SECTION. The naval and military sections will combine to discuss the application of lessons of orthopaedic surgery, learnt in the war, and the problem of the cripple in industry. The naval and military section will also conduct a staff ride. An important meeting "of all sections will discuss the relations between the State, the hospitals, and the medical practitioner in the prevention of. disease. It will" be seen that large emphasis is to be laid throughout the congress on preventive medicine. At the Dunedin Hospital, by kind per"mission of the Otago Hospital Board, demonstrations will foe given at 8 a.m. on each oi the days of the session before the sectional meetings. As far as possible these demonstrations will relate tc the subjects to be discussed .during the •day. USE OF THE KINEMATOGRAPH. A feature of the congress -will be the extensive use made of the kinematograph to illustrate the papers. Several meetings of large groups of sections will be held in the Octagon ".Hall, and three kinematograplis itill be operated in-various rooms devoted to sectional meetings at the Medical School. MUSEUM’ EXHIBITS. Two museums will be open throughout the congress. In the pathological museum an important exhibit will be a valuable series of ophthalmic drawings sent, from London. There will alte De specimens of technical interest from al] the centres. There will also be the unusual feature <of a museum of preventive medicine, containing, among other things, statistical disease in New Zealand, an exhibition of hydatjd specimens, and a relief map. of New Zealand, showing tiie “■goitre ureas-’’ and the relation to geological formation. • N.q "pains are being spared "to render this important meeting Worthy of the Australasian Congress ©f the medical profession in New Zealand, and of Che Ctago Medical ’"School; ■■;.•-'