PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 17

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

KEYNOTE OF THE CONGRESS. DR S. ARGYLE’S MISSION. “It is very gratifying to notice that the keynote at the Australasian Medical Congress will be preventive medicine and research,” said Dr S. Argyle (Minister of Health, Victoria, and head of the department of radiology at Melbourne), when interviewed by our representative on the train from Gore on Wednesday evening. Dr Argyle was careful to explain that he was attending the congress as a medical practitioner only, and not in his official capacity as a Cabinet Minister. He was in the same position as the hundreds of others who would attend, except that he was just making a holiday tour of NewZealand and happened to strike the time of congress. Of himself and his work in X-ray research Dr Argyle would say nothing, but at the first opportunity he resumed discussion of the subject in which he is at present most vitally interested—preventive medicine and research. He had been greatly pleased to read in the press that the congress was to be devoted mainly to these subjects, which were among the most important with which the medical profession had to deal. A moment’s thought, said Dr Argyle, was sufficient to convince anyone given to serious thought of the false economy that had characterised the warfare with disease in the past as far as the general programme of medical practice was concerned. Millions of pounds the world over were annually devoted to the curing of disease, while the money spent on the prevention of human ills was hopelessly inadequate, except, perhaps, in respect to epidemics, the handling of which was generally recognised by governments as one of their functions. The whole world, continued the doctor, was now awakening to a realisation of the enormity of the economic loss occasioned each year by preventable diseases. Millions were being lost as the result of loss of life and loss of working time in all countries, and the time was now long overdue for a wholesale endeavour to arrive at the causation of some of the many scourges tha'. were harassing mankind.

The Government of Victoria bad recognised the urgency of this need, and, with a view to commencing a campaign of prevention, was sending him round the -world to investigate conditions in other countries —notably Canada and America. While away, he would go thoroughly into the research work and medical education of the countries visited, and on his return a definite plan of action would be drawn up in the direction of preventive medicine. At present he was accompanied by Mr J. Love, chief inspector of hospitals in Victoria, and secretary of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards’ Association. At Auckland.'tliey would be joined by Dr R. J. Berry {dean of the medical faculty of the University of Melbourne). The, poity would leave for America by the Niagara. Dr Argyle and his party since their arrival in New Zealand by the Maunganui in the middle of last month have m£de an extensive motor tour of the South Island, visiting the Hermitage, Pembroke, and Queenstown. It was 40 years, he said, since he was here last, and he and his companions had be.n greatly charmed with the scenic wealth of th: resorts visited. He considered the Hermitage exceptionally fine, and the whole party spoke in the highest terms of praise of the accommodation and service provided there. He had travelled fairly extensively in all parts of the world, but he had found no country that had more to offer the tourist than New Zealand. With a chuckle of amusement he said he knew too much to be persuaded to make the trip via Milford Sound in the Moeraki, and had some of his brother medicos taken his advice in the matter they would have had a much more comfortable trip.