NEW ZEALAND.

872 reviewed the changes in the treatment of wounds during the last 30 years and pleaded for greater uniformity in the .application of the principles of antisepsis and asepsis. He deprecated the growing custom of using dressings, sutures, &c., just as they leave the hands of the wholesale manufacturer. While asepsis was the ideal, there were so many difficulties in its practical attainment under .ordinary conditions that the mixed method was the safest. He strongly urged the necessity of frequent bacteriological examinations of the dressings, sutures, ligatures, and scrapings from the hands of surgeons and nurses and of the discharge from the wound. The early detection of infection and the prompt use in such cases of antitoxins, .according to the nature of the infection, would lead to a diminished mortality from tetanus and septicaemia. Dr. Duncan further insisted upon the necessity of manufacturing antitoxins and protective serums in Australia, where the scanty and precarious supply and almost prohibitive price of these agents seriously interfered with their proper use. The address concluded with a warm panegyric upon Lord Lister, I the greatest benefactor of the human race so far as the saving of human life is concerned."

Death of Sir Alfred Roberts. Sir Alfred Roberts, Kt., M.R.C.S. Eng., L.S.A. Lond., died on Dec. 15th, 1898, at the ripe age of 75 years. His life was one of constant and successful effort to realise a high ideal as a cultured gentleman and a high-minded practitioner. His name is identified with the Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, which will ever be a monument to his zeal and assiduity. To his action when a member of the Board of Health was also due the construction of the Little Bay Hospital for Infectious Diseases. He was born in London and he completed his medical course at Guy’s Hospital. He arrived in Sydney in 1854 and rapidly acquired an extensive practice. He was soon appointed one of the surgeons to the Sydney Infirmary, a position he held for 18 years. During that period he organised the nursing arrangements and introduced the training of nurses, a plan soon followed in the other colonies. He was examiner in medicine at the Sydney University and honorary secretary to the Prince Alfred Hospital.

Appointments. A

rearrangement of posts in the hospitals for the insane in

Victoria has been made. Dr. McCreery will henceforth] act solely as inspector-general and is relieved of the charge of the Kew Asylum and Mr. Beattie Smith has been transferred

from Ararat to Kew as superintendent. Mr. Barker goes from Ballarat to Ararat and Dr. Lethbridge goes to Ballarat. Mr. Godfrey becomes senior medical officer at Kew and Dr. Steell at Yarra Bend. Dr. R. H. Todd has been appointed deputy coroner in Sydney in place of Dr. Rennie. ’The new deputy coroner is a barrister-at-law as well as a doctor of medicine. Dr. Mary Vaughan Cowan has been appointed assistant surgeon to in-patients at the Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Feb. 1st.

NEW ZEALAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Meeting of the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association (concluded from p. 73.1;). A MEETING of the Council was held on Jan. 4th, 1899, in the University Buildings, Auckland. Present: Dr. Pollen (representing Wellington), Dr. Gibbs (Nelson), Mr. Fleming (Otago), Dr. Pabst and Mr. Dawson (Auckland), Dr. Mason and Dr. Cleghorn (Canterbury), Dr. Fell (President of the Branch), and Dr. Scott (President-elect), who took the chair. A considerable amount of correspondence and accounts were gone into and dealt with, among which was the notification that the Hawkes Bay Section had disbanded from the Branch. Another matter introduced by Dr. Gibbs (Nelson) was a subject to which I have frequently referred in these columns-viz., the resuscitation of the New Zealand Medical J01t’fnal. The fact is now being recognised that it was a misfortune that the journal was ever allowed to collapse. In reference to this matter Dr. Gibbs said that a year ago a recommendation was sent from the Nelson Section to the Council in Wellington that the association existing between the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association and the A1tstralasian Medical Gazette Annual

should be dissolved and that the New Zealand Branch should resume the publication of their own journal, and he asked if any reply had been sent to that recommendation. The general secretary informed him that no reply had been sent. Dr. Gibbs then pointed out that the New Zealand lYledicaZ Journal bad cleared expenses and fully paid its way. They had now had two years of the Australasian Medical Gazette and the second year showed that the circulation had decreased. The general secretary explained that during the first year it was obligatory on members to take the Gazette while it was not so during the second year and consequently the circulation had fallen from 170 in the The Nelson Branch first year to 105 in the second year. notified that they intended to. give notice of a motion that the New Zealand Medical Journal should be resuscitated under the auspices of the New Zealand Branch Dr. Fell stated that of the British Medical Association. he had spoken to Dr. Barnett about the editorship of the Australasian Medical Gazette and that Dr. Barnett had informed him that he intended to place his resignation in the hands of this meeting because he felt that he had not received the support which he might have expected from members of the profession practising in the colony and he thought perhaps that somebody else ought to undertake the duties pertaining to the office so as to make it a success if possible ; but nevertheless he would be willing to continue his editorship of the Gazette if it should be the wish of the meeting. It was then resolved: "That this meeting acknowledges its indebtedness to Dr. Barnett for his editorship of the Australasian Medical Gazette and requests him to continue his editorship pending the consideration of a notice of motion given by the Nelson section to the effect that the NMV Zealand Medical Journal should be resuscitated." This is as it should be ; it is high time that we had our own journal again. Medical men practising in this colony can interchange ideas and keep records of their own individual work and experience far better by means of a journal published in this colony than by one published in Australia. The original New Zealand Medical Joctrnal was, in my opinion, a decided success when it was edited and published in Dunedin. Surely there are men capable and energetic enough still among us to undertake the task of editor. Dr. Saunders (Wanganui) attended before the Council and explained the position of the Hagey and similar institutions in New Zealand. In the course of his remarks he said that it appeared to him to be necessary for some medical man to come before the Council with the object of endeavouring to prevent members of their profession from "covering" in any shape or form a body of unqualified persons. As soon as these people-he referred more especially to the Hagey Institute-were exposed in one part of the colony they obtained a fresh footing in some other town and by means of advertisements for the bichloride of gold treatment for narcotism and alcoholism they succeeded in establishing a syndicate and did a great deal of harm. Lately, during November, there were two cases of sudden death in his district, both of the deceased having been recently subjected to this bichloride of gold treatment for alcoholism. In one case-a case of suicide-he was called by the police to see the deceased and in the course of the investigation before the resident magistrate the fact was elicited that the people who ran this bichloride of gold cure for drunkenness made the astounding statement in court that they in every case had a medical eertificate sent by a duly qualified medical man as to the health of the individual before he was subjected to the treatment. He said that astonished him very much and he told the magistrate in court that he knew that that proceeding was altogether unorthodox and contrary to the ordinances of the profession and if he knew of any medical man who covered them in that way he would report the matter to the He did not desire in any way to proper authorities. individualise any person or persons but he merely came before the Council with the object of seeing what could be done to stop these proceedings on the part of medical men in the future. It would not be necessary for him to go into the whole story of the bichloride of gold cure for drunkenness, how it originated in America about 25 years ago, and how an attempt was made to thrust it on the English market. He thought that great credit was due to the action of the Society for the Study of Inebriety and to the Temperance Society of London for their action in regard to this matter. THE LANCET in 1892 published a vast amount of most instructive information concerning the

873 the original promoter (a Dr. Keeley) and Dr. Keeley, however, result was indicted for libel. wisely withdrew from the case. It was discreditable to the medical profession that any member of it should 14cover"" institutions like the Hagey Institute in any He thought that the members of the Council way. would agree with him that this practice must be put a stop to, and the sooner this was done and the greater the publicity which was given to the fact that the members of the medical profession in New Zealand would not countenance anything of the kind the better. He had said enough, he thought, to show how urgently necessary it was to do this, for these "American Institutions"as soon as they were defunct in one place went to another and advertised in the local papers that they had patients from all parts of the colony. To his certain knowledge the managing director of the American Institute in his district (they called it the American Institute there) publicly notified that patients came from all parts of the colony for treatment. He thanked the members of the Council for the patience with which they had listened to him and said that he thought that if the Council would act in the way which he had suggested they would be doing something beneficial to certain members of the profession who were acting, to his way of thinking, contrary to

methods of as a

annual conference by means of a harbour picnic. An Auckland Harbour picnic is a thing to be remembered-thebeautiful scenery, the splendid fishing, and the kindly hospitality of the Aucklanders being well known to me personally ; but this year it was not to be, for a real change was. in store for the visiting members of the profession. The Government granted in a very generous manner a special trip to the world-famed sanatoria of Rotorua to all members of the profession attending the conference. The trip was to be free of cost and two special carriages were supplied. About 40 members of the profession took advantage of this kind offer and one and all enjoyed themselves greatly. There can be no doubt whatever that the present Government of New Zealand, although accused on a great many counts, cannot be indicted by the medical profession for not answering to any " knock at their doorfor assistance when required, thePremier (the Hon. R. J. Seddon) being the first on all occasions of medical conferences to do whatever is possible to further our discussions and to render our stay, wherever the rendezvous may be, pleasant and satisfactory to all concerned. Feb. 3rd. ___________

Obituary.

medical ordinaces.

Resolved: That the subject be referred to the general meeting with the recommendation that a notice be sent to all the medical men in the colony advising them that the Council intend referring this subjectDEPUTY INSPECTOR-GENERAL JOSEPH JEE,V.C.,C.B., to the General Medical Council in London should any case come HONORARY SURGEON TO THE QUEEN. before their notice of a member of the profession attaching himself to such an institution. DEPUTY INSPECTOR-üENERAL JOSEPH JEE died at hia-

Dr. Mason (Otaki), our Parliamentary representative, residence, Queniborough Hall, near Leicester, on March 17th. announced that the Government was now prepared to import He received his education at the Universities of London and serum in bulk. It would go to Wellington and on application of Edinburgh and also at the École de Medecine at Paris. In any medical man could have a supply of it. Further, if any 1842 he joined the 1st Dragoons as assistant-surgeon and medical man sent pathological specimens for examination in 1854. Eight years later he was appointed became surgeon would be of It is on free intended, too, they charge. reported that tubes of culture media for ordinary diseases are to be surgeon-major and subsequently he retired with the rank of forwarded to all medical men on application-they would honorary deputy inspector-general in 1868. During these years. be placed in the hands of the local officers in the various he saw much service. For his conduct in the Persian War of districts of the colony. It was suggested, too, that the 1857, including the night attack and battle of Koosbab and Government should appoint an officer in the large centres to the bombardment of Mohumrah, he received the medal with whom the medical men would be able to return their tubes clasp. He served with Havelock’s column in the several for report. The media developed at blood heat so that there actions leading to, and ending in, the relief of the Residency was no difficulty in cultivation. It was resolved that a of Lucknow and its subsequent defence, ending in the of thanks tendered vote be to the Government for its final capture of Lucknow. He was present with Brigadier hearty action in reference to this subject.-Dr. Fell in supporting Campbell’s column in the affairs of March 20th and this motion drew attention to the fact that it was solely due 21st, and also in the Rohilcund campaign in 1858 and to Dr. Mason’s energy and tact that they were enabled to the capture of Bareilly, receiving the medal with two clasps, the Companionship of the Bath, and a year’s service thank the Government for such advantages. , He received the Victoria Cross "for On Jan. 5th Dr. Mason read a very interesting paper on for Lucknow. most conspicuous gallantry and important services on at the Thigh; Recovery. Malignant (Edema; Amputation The paper was illustrated by the author’s cultures of the the entry of the late Major-General Havelock’s relieving, bacillus which were well portrayed. Dr. Truby King fol- force into Lucknow on Sept. 25th, 1857, in having during lowed with a paper on the Scientific Feeding of Calves, and action (when the 78th Highlanders, then in possession of the in a very interesting lecture he demonstrated how the weight Char Bagh, captured two nine-pounders at the point of of the calves depended on the manner in which they were the bayonet), by great exertion and devoted exposure, fed. This is a subject of the highest importance seeing that attended to the large number of men wounded in the charge, whom he succeeded in getting removed on cots now public attention is being directed to the desirableness of and on the backs of their comrades until he bad the preventing spread of bovine tuberculosis. On Jan. 6th Dr. Macgill showed with great success collected the dooly bearers who had fled. Subsequently on the practical Widal test for the diagnosis of enteric fever. the same day in endeavouring to reach the Residency with It was a very interesting demonstration. Dr. Pabst fol- the wounded men Surgeon Jee became besieged by an lowed with some valuable remarks on the same disease overwhelming force in the Mote-Mehal, where he remained from a clinical aspect and Mr. Baldwin gave a series of during the whole night and following morning, voluntarily statistical tables showing the actual number of cases of and repeatedly exposing himself to a heavy fire in proceeding enteric fever treated in the Auckland Hospital for a long to dress the wounded men who fell while serving a series of years past. It was evident to all present that Mr. 24-pounder in a most exposed situation. He eventually Baldwin (the resident surgeon to the Auckland Hospital) succeeded in taking many of the wounded through a cross had taken immense pains with this subject and illustrated fire of ordnance and musketry safely into the Residency by the river bank, although repeatedly warned not to make the as his tables were by excellent diagrams the result of his work should be found in the future a very valuable record for perilous attempt." the hospital archives. It is evident that the Auckland medical o men have had their attention of late directed very closely to HENRY JOHN BUTLER, L.R.C.P. LOND., M.R.C.S. ENG. this disease for Dr. Macgill followed with some excellent THE death took place on March 10th of Mr. Henry J. remarks on the same subject from a bacteriological point ol Butler of Bradford, Yorks, at the early age of 35 years. view. That the Auckland Hospital itself is far in advance 01 yf The cause of death was blood-poisoning following the prick what it used to be is a certain fact. It is clean, well managed, I, and well provided for in all details. Its general surround 1- of a safety-pin sustained whilst dressing a case of empyema. ings are in marked contrastto what existed only a few year;rs From the point of local infection the disease rapidly became el general and after 10 days of great suffering death ended ago when, in my opinion, it was anything but a mode the illness. Mr. Butler was a native of Bradford and was institution. On Jan. 7th it had been arranged to wind up th educated at the St. James’s Church School and the Bradford -

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