BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION MEETING IN BOURNEMOUTH

265

SPECIAL ARTICLES

BOURNEMOUTH, according to its medical officer of health, Dr. H. Gordon Smith, is a place of peace 1 ;

desiring stimulation

and We do not dispute his dictum that " at certain times of the year it has a soothing effect," but last week, at any rate, it provided enough stimulation and excitement not only to satisfy the young but to rejuvenate the elders. The first two days of the Representative Meeting furnished ample controversial matter to enliven dinner tables over the week-end but, in fact, a sunny atmosphere prevailed on Sunday, which for the most part was spent out of doors in cars or boats, some private parties were arranged, the facilities offered by the Corporation of Poole at a new bathing centre at Branksome Chine being much appreciated. A large contingent accepted the same Corporation’s invitation to lunch and a tour round the harbour on motor-boats. In the evening the famous municipal orchestra of Bournemouth, under Sir Dan Godfrey, gave a Wagner concert. During the first days of the following week the representatives, still hard at work, were gradually joined by visitors from " those two long, dull, parallel streets where, it is commonly believed, the waters of healing are laid on at the main." At the president’s reception on Tuesday the guests filled the ballroom of the Pavilion, and also the huge concert hall, where music, a variety programme, and films were provided in turn for those who did not want to dance. Some had been up before nine that morning to attend the opening by the president of the exhibition of surgical instruments and appliances, food, drugs and books set out in the Winter Gardens ; a far greater number were roused very early on Wednesday by the fear that they would be too far back in the queue to acquire tickets for the dinner and dance to be held on Friday at Southampton, on board R.M.S. Aquitania. The mornings of this and the two following days were taken up by the sectional meetings held at the Municipal College, in which the available accommodation had been nicely adjusted to the expected distribution of members. For the most part, estimates of attendance had been fairly accurate ; on the first day only the debates on ante-natal care and on the use of narcotics in the treatment of nervous and mental patients (see p. 272) were held in somewhat over-crowded rooms, while larger ones appeared to be less well filled. The pathological museum, in the spacious basement, contained some interesting material, notably a "clinical picture gallery," mostly dermatological, exhibited by Dr. Watson Smith ; the specimens and photographs of pancreatic and renal changes in mental patients lent by the Royal Bethlem Hospital ; a series of

excitement, he adds,the district is not suitable.

malignant tumours experimentally produced by methylcholanthrene at the Research Institute of the Cancer Hospital (Free) ; and the exhibit of parasites, mostly tape worms, and capsules and cysts recovered from human muscle and brain, lent by the Royal Army Medical College, Millbank. Most of the sections concluded their discussions each morning in good time for

lunch, and the afternoons

were

spent

at

1 The Book of Bournemouth. A series of 23 essays, richly edited by Dr. S. Watson Smith. Bournemouth: Pardy and Sons. 1934. Pp. 212.

illustrated,

in different

Dorset, in tours by land

MEETING IN BOURNEMOUTH

for the young and active

parts of Hampshire and by sea, or in recumbent posture on bed or beach in preparation for renewed activity at civic reception, Association dinner, or popular lecture in the evenings. The most flattering tribute to the efficiency of the secretariat of the Association, which is ultimately responsible for the organisation of these annual meetings, was the general acceptance of the good things offered to the mind and the body without comment, as part of the traditional hospitality of the British Medical Association. garden parties

BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

or

PROCEEDINGS OF THE REPRESENTATIVE BODY (Concluded from page 202)

The

Staffing

of Welfare Centres

THE provision of any pegs in the wall by which whole-time medical officers might " climb into the orchard of the general practitioner and steal his diminishing stock of fruit " was deprecated by Dr. B. H. PAIN (Tunbridge Wells) in connexion with the qualifications to be demanded of officers of welfare. centres. Prof. R. M. PICKEN, as chairman of the public health committee had brought forward the motion that "it is desirable " that such officers " should have had experience in general practice." Manchester, in the person of Dr. A. Gregory, wished to strengthen this pronouncement by substituting the word "essential" for "desirable" and by specifying two years as the minimum period of such experience; while Newcastle wished to extend the period to three years. Dr. PAINE feared that insistence on this proviso would strengthen the influence of the full-time medical officer, who would be able to say : " I’ve been in general practice, and I know." Sir HENRY BRACKENBURY emphasised the danger of adopting a policy in conflict with the agreement embodied in the Askwith memorandum on salaries of whole-time officers in public health services. Under this memorandum a period of three years’ professional experience "in the practice of his profession " was required of a candidate, not more than one of these years being spent in public health work as a temporary officer. Sir Henry held that it would be unwise to alter this arrangement while it was acceptable to those concerned as prospective employers and employees. Dr. E. H. T. NASH supported this view, and Prof. PICKEN pointed out that while a medical officer of a welfare centre should have some knowledge of conditions in the homes of the people, which could well be gained in general practice, insistence In a prolonged experience would so extend the period of apprenticeship for public health work as to discourage men from attempting to enter a branch of medicine which held out no glittering prizes, even to its most successful votaries. It was agreed to adopt the motion, leaving the time of experience in general practice unspecified.

The Use of Anaesthetics and Analgesics by Midwives Prof. RALPH PICKEN drew attention to the action of the Council in informing the Ministry of Health and the Central Midwives Board that " it views with apprehension the proposed extension of the freedom of the midwife to administer drugs on her own responsibility, believing it to be dangerous and contrary to the public interest." Sir EWEN MACLEAN supported this action, on the grounds that the