DR PICKERILL’S RESIGNATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 8

DR PICKERILL’S RESIGNATION.

TRIBUTE BY OTAGO HOSPITAL BOARD. NO FRESH APPOINTMENT TO BE MADE. At last week's meeting of the Otago Hospital Board a letter was received from Dr H. P. Pickerill, resigning his position of surgeon in charge of the facial and jaw department. In moving that Dr Pickerills resignation be accepted, Mr J. W. Seurr said he was sure every member of the board would agree that they could ill afford to lose Dr Pickerill. The loss was not only a loss to the board —it was a national one. There were few men in the world doing the work which Dr Pickerill was doing, and it was with great regret that he moved the resolution. The Chairman (Mr W. E. S. Knight) seconded the motion. Dr Pickerill, he said, was appointed to the Dunedin Hospital for the year 1908-09, and had continued a valued member of the honorary medical staff for 19 years without a break as honorary dental surgeon, honorary stomatologist and honorary surgeon in charge of the facial and jaw department. The brilliant plastic surgery work carried out by Dr Pickerill during the Great War, and continued since in Dunedin, would ever be gratefully remembered by those who had been assisted, and the new Dcutal School recently erected

and opened stood for all time as a monument to Dr Pickerill’s energy. Both achievements pointed him out as a professional man of particular merit. Dr Pickerill would be missed sadly not only in Dunedin, but throughout New Zealand, and the Otago Hospital Board in parting with his services, extended to him every good wish for his future success. The motion was carried. In connection with Dr Pickerill’s resignation, the medical superintendent (Dr J. Thomson) reported that as no surgeon had taken up this department of surgery, he did not consider there was any necessity to appoint anyone to fill the vacancy.

ENTERTAINED BY OFFICERS’ CLUB. Despite the unfavourable state of the weather Colonel G. Macdonald presided over a very good attendance of Otago officers at a function on Thursday evening to bid farewell to Colonel H. P. Pickerill, who is leaving shortly to take up his residence in Sydney. The first hour of the evening was devoted to an illustrated lantern lecure by the guest of the evening. Ho outlined his lecture, by giving a brief history of the formation of the Sidcup Jaw Hospital in Kent. England, and caused much amusement when he told about his reception at the War Office when he volunteered in 1914. “Facial wounds would be few, and besides the war was not coing to last long enough to warrant the organising of a unit such as he suggested,” he was informed. . The lecture was entitled . “Work in a Facial gnd Jaw Hospital During the War.”

Flight-Lieutenant C. "Umbers supplied the lantern and showed the slides. Outside of the medical faculty very few have seen such results of war, and the various pictures as they were shown, were followed with close interest, revealing as they did the marvels of modern surgery. When Private “Digger” was shown with a face which, as Dr Pickerell was told once, was more like his mother than before,” a hearty laugh followed. Colonel Macdonald proposed the toast of the guest of the evening—Colonel Pickerill. Tfo sn’d he wished to thank Colonel Pickerill for his fine illustrated lecture.. He paid tribute to the wonderful operations Dr Pickerill had performed in England on man sufferers who, it seemed, were hopelessly maimed. Dr Pickerill s health was drunk in true military fashion with musical honours.

Colonel Pickerill briefly. thanked the" members of the club for their good wishes. He was glad to know that his association with the club had been appreciated. His feelings were rather mixed —he was leaving friends many of whom he had. met during his service overseas. Looking'back, he said that 20 years ago he set sail from England. Tn spite of many warnings from his numerous friends he had departed, and he was glad he had done so. He had worked for a zhile in one of the finest countries in the world —New Zealand, and he was very sad at leaving so many firm friends. He did not know if he would be fortunate enough to find as staunch fellows in Sydney. He mentioned that he would like very much, if such were possible, to practice in Sydney and live in New Zealand. He mentioned that before the war he was one of the original members of the University Territorial Bat-

talion —that' was before the days of the O.T.C. The speaker related several little incidents in connection with his early touring under the late Sir Redvers Buller.

Colonel E. R. mi th—one of the original members of the club—said that although the guest of the evening was leaving Dunedin, he hoped it would not be long before he returned on a visit. He was going to Australia, a country which was near and dear to us. He wished the colonel “Kia Ora.” Colonel Macdonald then said he had a small presentation to make to Colonel Pickerill He houed that when he got used to the wonderful Australian climate he would find it was a great country and that as the “Aussies” stood shoulder to shoulder with the New Zealanders during the war he would find them just the same now and that they would welcome him as a “Dinkum Digger.” Colonel Macdonald hnaded Colonel Pickerill a silver cigarette case suitably inscribed. Colonel Pickerill, in returning thanks, said he was indeed surprised at his farewell taking such a tangible form ’ He would ever remember his old friends of the Otago Officers’ Club. He was sure Colonel Macdonald’s remarks about the Australian were genuine, and he had every confidence that he would find them just as loyal friends to him now as when he was working amongst them during the war. The evening closed with supper, and before leaving cheers were given for Colonel and Mrs Pickerill and tamily. Interspersed with the various toasts, items were given by Mr S. Angell and the Machine Gunners’ Orchestra and steel guitar solos by Mr Bert East.