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Visitors from Overseas and New Zealand Representation Abroad During the past year distinguished visitors to New Zealand from the health point of view included Dr. John B. Grant, representing the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation, who investigated medical services on behalf of the Foundation ; Professor R. W. Gerard, Professor of Physiology at Chicago University, who lectured at the Medical School; Dr. Earl R. Carlson ; and Dr. C. B. Heald. Dr. Carlson, a world authority on cerebral palsy, visited New Zealand under the auspices of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society, and has submitted a report to the Government after completing a survey of this problem in New Zealand and giving lectures and inspecting treatment facilities here. Dr. Heald, Consultant to the British Legion Unit of Rheumatology, a member of the Empire Rheumatism Council, and one of the leading figures in England in the campaign against rheumatic diseases, conducted a series of lectures throughout New Zealand on the subject in question. He later made available a report to the Government on facilities for treatment of rheumatism in New Zealand. During the past year New Zealand was represented at the following overseas gatherings connected with health matters : (1) The Centennial Celebrations of the American Medical Association at Atlantic City, New Jersey, on 9th to 13th June, 1947, by Dr. Rowan Nicks, 0.8. E. Dr. Nicks submitted a report on these Celebrations, which were attended by approximately 16,000 medical men, including American, South American, and European representatives. (2) The Fifth International Congress on Pediatrics in New York on 14th to 17th July, 1947, by Dr. Helen Deem, on the nomination of the New Zealand Pediatric Society. After her attendance at the Congress, Dr. Helen Deem undertook a tour of study in the United States of America, Canada, Great Britain, and Denmark on infant welfare, mothercraft, and allied subjects. (3) The Fourth International Microbiological Congress, Copenhagen, on 20th to 26th July, 1947, by Dr. Denis Stewart (representing the Departments of Health and Agriculture). Dr. Stewart and Dr. Nicks were already abroad at the time of attending the gatherings mentioned. As a result of the Congress in Copenhagen which was held under the auspices of the International Association of Microbiologists, an International Committee for Enteric Phage Typing was formed. The Central Enteric Reference Laboratory of the Public Health Laboratory Service of England and Wales (London) will, it is proposed, act as the International Central Reference Laboratory for enteric phage typing. Dr. Stewart while in London unofficially attended the British Commonwealth Specialist Conference on Culture Collections of Micro-organisms. This Conference took place following decisions of the British Commonwealth Scientific Official' Conference, 1946. The specialists recommended the establishment of a Permanent Central Committee in London and National Committees, representative of educational and research institutions, in each of the Dominions. One of the main functions of a National Committee will be the compilation of a catalogue of the type organisms maintained within its territory. Drs. J. 0. Mercer and L. Kirschner have been appointed as representatives of the Medical Research Council and the Otago Medical School respectively on the National Committee to be established in New Zealand.

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