The IGU commission on medical geography 1972–1976

152

Geoforum/Volume

controlling

desertification,

changes or fluctuations

and the consequences

MAINGUET,

of recent

M. (1974):

Francais travaillant

of desert climates.

Repertoire

7/Number

provisoire

2/1976

des geographes

dans les zones arides. Intefgeo.

35.

195-230. Relevant

publications

BEAUMONT,

P. (1973):

the Elburz

Alluvial

Mountains,

Palaeoecol.

Iran.

P. (1974):

Iran. Geogrl J.

fans along the foothills

A.T.

Water resource development

(1973):

A note on the remarkably

M. and M. MAINGUET,

H.S. (1972):

Farmg. MANN,

MANN,

Savanna. (1975):

low rainfall

Les courants

au sol.

lndian

Rajasthan. Ann.

and J.C. KALLA,

W. (1973):

(1974):

zones

D.H.K.

feds.) pp. 159-65.

AMIRAN

H.11974):

und Konsequenzen Zeitschrift

Die Sahelzone

der Dlrrekatastrophe.

f& moderne

MENSCHING,

H. (1974):

afrikanischen

Afrikas:

MENSCHING,

H. (1974):

of climatic

Landforms

discussion. 2. Geomorph. PETROV,

geographer’s

expression

critical

sensitivity

application

to areal differences

and various time-scales,

Review article:

of urbanisation

and urbanism,

on Scientific of Human

of Desert Development

Forecasting

Environment.

of Man-made

M. (1974): 973.

Bibliography

Council of Planning

Bibliography

A.W.

andsand-stabilization

It would inevitably

forecasting of change, anthropogenous environment

(1973):

assumptions

Librarians,

Illinois.

AMIRAN

prevented,

and A.W. WILSON

Univ.

Arizona

involve scientific

and also resulting from of the human

viewpoint-and

that the prolongation

the explicit

or implicit

of human life is a good thing,

that illness and suffering are to be lessened and if possible

117~~.

The larger urban centres of the coastal

deserts. In: D.H.K.

Symposium

would be of its essence. We share with medicine

an anthropocentric

of Pakistan geography,

No.‘s 655-6.

Coastal Deserts, pp. 33-6.

and that the more difficult

task of improving

health may also become an aim. Our anthropocentricity not be a narrow one, blind to the total environmental

teds.)

of local or global pressure of human populations and biotic resources.

Press, Tucson.

References

positive need

impact

upon physical

In the short term the likely emphasis would be on the avoidance

L. (1975):

Ecological

would involve

Change and Amelioration

physical and biological change. Amelioration Affroestation

ecology

and changing

in the warp and woof of society.

There can be no doubt that such a programme

Sand deserts and

Problems

of the

on various scales

and our concern to link spatial patterns

patterns of interrelationship

1950-1965.

and prospects of their

during 1972.

M.P. (1974):

Exchange

of world

with both the biologist’s ecology and the sociologist’s

of mobile sands in the world deserts. 47pp.

BERRY,

on the problems

what we are envisaging is more thorough

5, 81-90.

RAHMAN,

stage. There

disparities in health is already part of the concerns of WHO:

Deserts of the Turkmenistan

semideserts of the U.S.S.R.

PETROV,

would be

and applied

the subjects named in the title of the IGU-Congress

M.P. (I 973):

development

the fundamental

der

of changing patterns

of them. Bibliography,

of the order needed for such

Even for WHO the problems

is no doubt that such an attack

Ashkabad.

PETROV,

collaboration

research, but even more in the implementation

20, 168-77.

M.P., ed. (1973):

and development 436~~.

as a dynamic

international

and manpower

the charisma which might

im

der Akademie

factors in the Sahara and Sahel-a

with

geographical

to name only some

the needed financial

vast, not only in attacking

Wissenschaften in Gottingen. Mathematisch-Physikalishee Klasse, I I I Folge, Nr. 29, 22-38.

WILSON,

biology and biomathematics,

a major undertaking.

9. 241-78.

Morphodynamik

Sahel. Abhandlungen

attract

Ursachen

Deursche

Afrika-forschung. Aktuelle

geographers

epidemiology,

resources, the status, the authority,

MENSCHING,

be

involving the closest

of able and committed

even hope to command

Press,

Tucson.

1947-l

pathology,

Union

would clearly

of the sister disciplines with whom cooperation should be sought. Only the World Health Organization, surely, could

and

Univ. Arizona

project

of social medicine,

measures in

Geographical

Such a programme

interdisciplinary

possible collaboration practitioners

in the coastal deserts of the north

In Coasfai Deserts,

of fundamental

with the main themes of

of the International

Environment.

a thoroughly

13, 103-13.

Climatic-geomorphological

fully compatible

the general symposium

analysis of the arid zone of

Arid Zone,

and land utilization Sahara.

Introduction

on Human

Desert spread: a quantitative

A.W. WILSON

1.

and applied research and also of implementation

of the desert. lndianand

S.P. MALHOTRA,

Keynes*

It would be possible to envisage a programme medical geography,

Reclamation

Milton

de

Rev. 11, 17-18.

MECKELEIN,

LEARMONTH,

Andrew

2, 133-8.

Science and desert control.

H.S. (1974):

H.S.,

on Medical Geography

in

22, 5-8.

Foreign

The IGU Commission 1972-1976

140, 418-31.

transport eolien au Sahara et leurs manifestations C.R. Acad. Sc. Paris. 281, 103-6. MANN,

of

Palaeogeog. Palaeoclim.

of the Sudan Zone in 1913. GUY,

group

12. 251-73

BEAUMONT, GROVE,

by members of the working

The Sahel: climate and soils. In The Sahel:

Approach

to Land Use. MAB Tech. Note,

UNESCO,

of human deaths, and suffering for instance through

both direct and less immediate-as

the loss from epidemic

diseases of producers

Paris. 9-l 7. GROVE,

A.T.

(1975):

Desertification

in the African

In: David DALBY

and R.J.H.

Africa,

Centre for African

pp. 33-45.

CHURCH

environment.

teds.1 Drought

Studies,

London.

in

*

Prof. Andrew Faculty

T.A.

LEARMONTH,

of Social Sciences, Milton

The Open University, Keynes MK7

6AA.

UK.

Geoforum/Volume

7/Number

153

2/1976

in the prime of life and at crucial stages of the family the care and nurture

of the coming generation.

geographiical contributions from ecological

to the prevention

medical geography,

by work already

cycle for

of disease, mainly

of patterns

would be complemented

of medical care. In the medium

long term such a programme with the promotion

and

of positive health: as it becomes more possible

to measure positive health and to analyse the factors involved, total environment in the physical,

of groups of people with their

will prove crucial; and if, as intuition

the interrelationships

involved are variable functions

the biotic and the socio-economic

then surely a major contribution

suggests,

of factors

environment,

from medical geography

is to

would have the clearest links with the broadest

sort of conservation

interests-

of balanced and rational

those associated with concepts

utilization

and would an equilibrium

of resources of all kinds,

state of man-environment

on planet earth and in its variegated

continents

exploring

A major programme contribution

towards

nutrition

work

it, lie beyond

the attainable

nutritionists.

Elsewhere,

by individual work.

though not beyond

report of the Commission

geographers

began its

our dreams. Since the first (1952)

reaching far beyond

the modest here-and-now

limits of the technologically and now turning specifically Congress in Canada, be more limited

feasible.

towards

the

in its immediate

has in practice

aims. Let me report on some

now ripe for a bigger and more imaginative

scale of attack,

on a major

scale, these years of quiet preparation

may well prove their usefulness in spreading ideas, concepts and approaches,

and perhaps in providing

needed in the future.

After

I shall later return

a factual

some of the key workers report of the period

were influenced

we should note that as well

of papers read in full or by title, the meetings

by two bench-mark

surveys then recently

one, the edited volume of papers on techniques

case studies of N.D. influential

McGLASHAN

(1972),

The Guelph

and Montreal

that Commission do everything

and DEVER

by G.F.

PYLE

members and corresponding

individuals

for national

conference

(see Newsletrer

No. 9, August

at the time of going to press-naturally the 1976

Congress:

development,

in January

field worker

now studying

manual work,

1975

of nutrition:

Anne she pointed

even in people engaged in

may be met largely from staple energy foods

in nearly all the diets staple among large population developing

countries;

groups in

diets among babies on weaning, may well be deficient

available

protein-rich

and among in protein,

needed at times of maximum

growth

weight; but at least in absolute protein

deficiency

tradition

foods in their direction,

of the sheer bulk of vegetable in proportion

quantities

as

protein to body

the problem

looks more containable

of

than it did a few

years ago. While cooperative 1972-1976, justify

international

efforts

have not taken place in

then, the work of individual

members

meeting at the 1976

members

like these may

Congress in Moscow in

collaborative

a composite was adopted

members

the influence

of the very stimulating

BROWNLEA

reported

should

these are

project.

at

index of community for the 1972-1976

to the 1972

health

programme

under

research by Arthur meeting.

The topic seems

vital for the work on positive aspects of health suggested in my Introduction

of progress known

subject to up-dating

there was a paper by a

the geography

This objective

1972);

funds might need to be

of British Geographers

in medical geography,

out that adult needs for protein,

as a

and that other more profitable

development

Again at the Institute at Oxford

It was suggested

might merit only a low priority

2.2 Towards

possible in their respective spheres to encourage

noted below, along with a very brief account

greater

allowing

with low calorie intake to be more economically

examined.”

COLES,

efficiency,

to work,

than those with high calorie intakes.

recommendations

work on four main themes, arising largely from papers read at the meetings

by

(1971 j

119741

meetings produced

subjects.

It was

influenced

such as higher rates of metabolic

pressing for an international

and two, the

work on medical care geography

See also SHANNON

and

per

with low calorie intakes

with high calorie intakes.

physical fitness, and stronger incentives

to channeling

2. Programme for Commission work recommended at the 1972 IGU meetings (seminar at Guelph, Ontario, and the main Montreal Congress)

available:

output

subjects was

possession of land or wealth and that there were compensatory

well as the problems

as a full programme

(work

and there may be great barriers in the shape of dietary

of our field of endeavour.

Before noting the recommendations,

and workers

as workers

toddlers and growing children,

to the broader canvas and to the

efficiency

of the ten most undernourished

that the Javanese study subjects could adapt

very experienced

armed with greater resources and with the backing of international collaboration

The physiologic

ways of spending nutritional

of its quite modest but, I believe, useful work; if the time is

did not relate to caloric

that calorie intake is not directly

stimulant

had to

for

out from studies in East

that calorie intake did not correlate

that calorie supplementation

to the period since the 1972

the Commission

apparent

efficient

During its history,

further

shown to be 55% higher than that of the best nourished

mechanisms,

I can well recall

simply studies

Congress in New Zealand, pointed

of with

have been cautious,

of the topic. As often,

capita landholdings

with work output.

is continuing

may point the way towards

intake and it also appeared

were as efficient

conversations with the latch Dr. Jacques MAY, and some specific proposals for serum-based health surveys across the world,

1972-76,

approaches

At the IGU Regional

. per

SHAFI

seeking closer collaboration

because of the great complexity

to caloric undernutrition

as we have

on Medical Geography

We believe that in the

linking land use patterns with patterns

and undernutrition,

Thus it appeared

of this sort, even a part of it, even a

known it since the Commission work in 1949,

relationships

countries.

middle Ganga plains of India Dr. Mohamed his interesting

in this

from different

the usefulness of joint surveys with

in their different

unit calorie intake)

regions.

a strong desire

for work

field; the discussion resulted in several geographers

Java that ‘I... Such a project

future

meetings experienced

instance, W. EDMUNDSON

be expected.

printed

of nutrition

of the 1972

nutritionists

might become more concerned

it is most likely that the relations

The members

to respond to the call from Dr. Jacques MAY

beginning to yield useful results on the geography

and forecasting

2.1 The geography

Concern for

term. Further

as likely to be important progress in methodology

in the medium and long is needed in the meantime,

and this seems to depend on the coincidence

in one place

(even in an age of rapid and easy communications)

of an

154

Geoforum/Volume

interested

worker

or group Of workers,

health screening data (BROWNLEA and perhaps measurements EDMUNDSON’s

a data bank of suitable

used data from

of output-by

Hawaii),

Further

meeting may be attained,

analogy with

and indeed publication

2.3. Towards a syllabus for the training geographers

of this this end.

from correspondents

Jr. (Newsletter

other newsletter

items concerning

various universities. workers

particular

syllabi in use in

We also know that a few committed

have been able to secure employment

specialism in the UK, the Republic the USA-the systematic

operation,

the field in isolation

on the other hand

of several young workers

or with inadequate

discouraged and lost to research.

of specific employment discouraging

to young workers.

interest in community health programmes look forward programmes

prospects

is

On the other hand the growing

ought to be offering

community

opportunities.

So we

very much to hearing more of the training used in the USSR and elsewhere

Georgia State University Section,

of Brussels has been in touch with Ian

of the IGU Commission

meantime

she has presented

air pollution

on Man and Environment,

for collaboration

have been explored;

Department

of Human

conferences

in particular

and seminars. J.L. GIRT’s

Leeds (1972) particularly

was available interesting

of the University

to act as co-editor.

of Florida

DEVER

work on bronchitis

and Gary SHANNON.

and the Newsletter

came a change to an improved

is now produced

It is more ambitious.

extracts from a wide range of correspondence Professor J.E. SCHIEL

of the University

work

in

in an

Congress may well

of a major collaborative

view belongs to the conclusion

project.

largest or most active countries difficult

might justify adequate command support,

isolated in all except

There have been several Accounts

on training programmes.

and seminars tend to be fuller whenever

collaboration.

sufficient

progress

on projects dependent

A very small number

preliminary

spadework

basis for an appeal for funds weighty financial

support.

Only considerable

it seems, will command

rapid and substantial

sufficient

held during the New Zealand regional

congress in December

will be reported

1974

and offprinted

move towards reflecting

1974

either timely

Whrle Geographica

from that journal.

the newsletter

With issue

editors proposed

to

to a major theme

research concerning

Medica,

publishing

remain the marn international medical geography,

the state of the

journal

voluntary

exchanges.

subscriptions

is likely to to

may be

of short articles, it has been proving

and the editors have solicited from all

who can send a remittance.

of projects

4. Meetings since the 1972 Congress Outside the USSR, where medical geography recognized

interdisciplinary

Mexico.

financial

under Dr. C.S. de la CALZADA.

manpower

to bring area. Some

Mexico

AAG committee

but substantial preliminary

of medical geography,

In the USA there have now been

in parallel with the annual conference

of American

ecological geography

work;

is perhaps most advanced in USA and

has a fully fledged department

several meetings conducted the Association

has been a

and applied field for many years,

this branch of geography

only after very considerable

journal Already

of at least US$l

to form an

to planning such serious preliminary

in Budapest,

devoted exclusively

it appears that the Newsletter

quite expensive to produce,

well be devoted

research.

to subscribers in

in the New Zealand

including one article devoted

serious work behind the scenes at the Moscow Congress might

funds can be obtained

the

meeting of the Commission

enough to

progress in any major problem

this may seem negative and procrastinating,

of congresses

accounts can be obtained

are

the

in the field that it is as yet very

to make very substantial

on international

by on the

to this

is that medical geographers

still so few and so comparatively

collected

of Oklahoma

nature and tasks of medical geography.

correspondents conclusion

offset

for instance,

contributions

notes and professional

report, an interim

in attractive

It has included,

about to become a complementary

While a perspective

LEARMONTH

and Nos 13 and 14 by Alan

geography

field like this. The 1976

to the time

services delivery.

for its links with urban geography-after

be timely for the launching

Since the 1972

have appeared

Nos. 9 and 10 edited by Andrew

all it is largely the links with the main stream of research in interdisciplinary

Atlanta.

to various

to the meetings in Canada, and

which make the case for geographical

Resources,

art of specific issues related to disease ecology and health

various aspects of her work on

and disease in Antwerp

then of

he asked Professor Gary SHANNON

no. 14 for December BURTON

DEVER,

and now of the Health Services Research

With his change of location

Medical Journal

and Pollution

and opportunities

and

At the

in Canada, it was decided that

the form of abstracts first appearing

Yola VERHASSELT

letters of controversy,

of papers on medical geography.

would be taken over by D. G.E.A.

and Statistics

In its

in a form suitable for editing. With the assistance of the IGU

during the 1976

Congress.

2.4 Geography

direct or meet.

form it consisted of notes of

and seminars, occasional

typescript.

For many the lack

and practical

editorship

format,

and

in most western countries

health education

know about each other and correspond first, simple and mimeographed

With the change of editorship

star’ting in

supervision,

to keep in touch with interested

Nos 11 and 12 by Alan DEVER,

of which many of us hope to learn more

and most unfortunately,

and in order for workers sharing interests to get to

of this draft report,

of South Africa and in

Congress. We also know,

of the Commission

Congress six issues of the newsletter

in this field of

USSR of course has a much larger and more

during the 1976

becoming

and various

since the 1964

as a means for Professor LEARMONTH

1972 meetings of the Commission

on the topic edited by Joseph

No. 11 of May 1973),

Newsletter

occasionally

as Chairman

a selective bibliography

aseries

2/1976

geographers,

conferences

of medical

This topic has produced a most interesting exchange of information in the Newsletter (see 3 below), in particular of quotations

has been circulated

London Congress, initially

progress before the Moscow

report in advance of the Congress may assist towards

B. SCHIEL

A newsletter

work cited earlier, and perhaps from the

field of ergonomics?

3. The Medical Geography

7iNumber

Geographers,

on medical geography

and there is now an

and health care. Both the

of disease and health care geography

in its care and have figured prominently universities offer programmes

in medical geography,

graduate level, and in collaboration

are

at meetings. Several mainly at

with medical and health

of

Geoforum/Volume

authorities,

7/Number

155

2/1976

and with sister disciplines such as social anthropology~

is improving.

Since there are parallel developments

at several

universities in Canada, one should perhaps refer to North

America

rather than to the USA. In the Federal Republic longer established Dr. H.J. JUSATZ

the field has, of course been

in modern times than almost anywhere,

days of Ernst RODENWALDT international

(JUSATZ,

has been responsible

workers from medicine as well as geographers,

and have explored

theoretical

and methods.

and ecologically,

in particular

Academy

Heidelberg

aspects, models

with professional Republic

excellent

to Dr. Helmut

von ARNHOLD

of our fieldof

study (1968).

a particularly

in any way matching

major fields of geographical or even political

on Medical Geography of Professor G.M.

of Disease Mortality

in 1970.

HOWE’s

East Anglia and Oxford, meetingof

Science. A further

been followed

meeting is planned for 1976

Canterbury of

at the 1972

in Lanchester.

Montreal

teaching

at perhaps a handful of universities,

geographers are at work in one or two inter-disciplinary and in one or two schools of medicine. in medical schools on community

while teams

medicine and on contact

with

The field of study

is perhaps approaching

point.

some kind of take-off

of Medical

changes began to show in research work on medical in USSR in 1972-l

The emerging trends may

as follows:

well as conceptions

RAIKCH

by A.D.

LEBEDEV,

e.g.

reg~onalizat~on,

of nosogeographical

endemicity

diseases, involving

geographers and epidemiologists,

concerning

natural focality

as

and natural

of diseases began to be widely used, by analogy,

for studies of noncommun~cabie

of ecological probably

diseases, e.g. cardiovascular

of theoretical

geography

connections

conceptions,

methodological

related to studies

of diseases, showed that there are

and relationships

“area of diseases-geographical

in complex

environment”

of medical geographers.

of applications

of different

theories and methods for spatial modelling owing to the vast territory methods

well-founded

mathematical

and description

in relation

of

significance

found

within

has permitted

it. Application

fresh and it is

prognoses of medico-biological

under study according considered

Much

of USSR and the exceptional

of natural conditions

of mathematical thought

systems;

systems appears

work has been done by scientists in USSR

on the development

(4) The conceptions

to the environmental

phenomena

conditions

to trends in both space and time.

of theory

in common

more often adaptation

El.

IGNETJEV

and

is beoming a key idea

in USSR and this arises from long

interests of medical geography problems.

whatever

and geographical

Medico-geographicat

their particular

features,

are based

now on man himself; his reactions to environment, and normal ones, including adaptation to environment;

and his behaviour the geographical

within

his whole relationships

it. The problem

environment

of man-its

more and more, particularly

and practical

and

of human ecology

in medical geography

tasks in connection

of new uninhabited developed etc.

EL.

in the development

between

attention its active development,

in the fields of the development

Communicated

upon which

and ~dico.geographical

close contacts

pathological

Important

*

in

are assembled to

foundations

in the field of communicable

mutual

geography

particularly

medical

Regularities

investigations

investigations

Basic Tendencies of Development Geography in U.S.S.R.*

(1) The research branch continues

placed within

revealed by nosogeography

studies of countries,

pathotogy

be outlined

is firmly

The increased emphasis

the social sciences seems to offer a challenge.

976.

of medical

branches of medical geography are founded,

variability

Congress, has

of undergraduate

the relationship

and their place in a system of

such systems, and these have baen of particular

by N.D. McGLASHAN,

by an increased amount

of medical geography

the sections

for the Advancement

of the volume edited

already noted as influential

to nosogeography

to be the focus of attention

Aberdeen,

was held during the 1973

the British Association

The appearance

of British Geographers,

and a joint meeting between

and biomedicine

to develop.

(2) In spite of debate concerning

(31 Development

Atlas

it is now complemented

in Strathclyde,

With this basis,

prognosis and experimental

diseases and cancers.

Seminars or conference

sessions have been held at universities of geography

The

since the

second National

However,

to that of the AAG.

such as

of the Royal Geographical

by a very active study group of the institute corresponding

without

geography.

the determination

complexes.

the last being specific to USSR particularly.

they

concern

Society remains in being, though almost dormant

within outlined

medico-geographical

different

instance we owe

or historical

analyses

their synthesis and future

of boundaries,

form factual as well as theoretical

good bibliography

economic

publication

complex

uniformity

disease patterns by

have begun to take root at several places in the country,

Committee

of internal

of causations, the outlining

geography as a whole at the present time.

many

that since 1972

methods and cartographic

sciences, nosogeography

have taken a different

course again, but we might well estimate

geography

classification,

Long experience

In Britain studies in medical geography

different methods,

in resolving the many challenges which

with

In the German

work goes on-for

are used very widely

of

being complemented

geographers.

Ecological-epidemiological

comparative-geographical

geography

of the University

districts, relatively,

districts and significantly

medical geography are continuing

deseases viewed

the German approach,

years of research by medical workers Democratic

from several countries,

of Sciences with very close contacts

perhaps epitomizes

close contact

and

Research Unit of the

geographers of the South Asia Institute

between districts.

on

complexes,

medical geographers are facing: these include the demonstration

and studies of health and disease

areas. The Geomedical

within

and classification

into territorial

geosystems or medico-geographical

and evaluation

near Ulm.

and veterinary

and philosophical

as well as studies of particular

~ographically

since the

His successor

for two very successful

plant pathologists

Heidelberg

1970).

seminars held at Schloss Reisensburg

Both have attracted

their differentiation

homogeneous of Germany

studies

methods of medico-~ographicai territories,

territories,

processes-his to environment

of the evaluation

of

quality-attracts

in deciding scientific

with economic or reconstruction

development of old

ones, or again in opening up new areas for recreation

(5) It has been found

increasingly

necessary to summarize

fast increasing flow of geographical,

biological and medical

the

Geoforum/Volume

156

information

in medical geography,

there were delegations

and the analysis and

synthesis of the data. So studies are in progress of data storage

of Eastern Europe.

and retrieval systems, compatible

methodology

which would contain

with scientific

methodology,

and for development

mechanised

information

geographical

automatic

pollution

searching systems, e.g. “medicomapping”

of medical geography

diseases, somatic,

of manual and

infectious

in rapidly

Congress of the IGU in New Zealand

like that in Mexico

in 1967,

in medical geography, on nutritional

Australia

a substantial

(including

including

alcohof~sm)‘

Yola VERHASSELT

in a few universities

with medical geography subsequent

aspects of tourism.

on cancer

will be given enough contact with biomedical

comparatively

students

with the USSR-from

also occurs in a few places.

network

analysis for instance, the cross-fertilization

disease patterns

with studies of diffusion,

branches of geography,

From a state of

which much guidance is available,

of

Quite clearly there are substantial

of analysis of

for instance in other

the growing contact

between

say

there

in the field.

6. Gaps in coverage of the field and assessment of the likely position in 1976

trends in the period seem to be the

growing emphasis on health care analysis, using the principle

and between

of the field, as compared

seemed every prospect of very rapid development

5. Trends in research work and in training 1972-1976 Some of the important

and dynamism,

research workers.

modest development

different

in western countries,

barriers of communication

geographers and biomedical

to arouse the interest of a few in

studies, while contact

to overcome

General

with somewhat

and there seem to be great confidence determinism

and aspects

little

in western countries.

emphases perhaps from the main currents

students in

and on the

prerequisites

(This Last is a topic comparatively

geographic studies are well developed,

itself played a prominent

(3) regional

and the impact of the

of health resorts, spas and health

studied at least by geographers

in the S.-W. Pacific section. Workers from

as well as New Zealand

areas of Bulgaria,

on the health of the population

relevant for the development

and aetiology

part, and there is little doubt that undergraduate geography

programme

of

and the impact of air

health services, and (4) medico-geographic

with several papers on medical facilities,

geography

viewed spatially, distribution

contained

in 1974,

and

contributions

(2) the geographic distribution

and parasitic,

industrializing

total disease complex The Regional

(with powerful

medical ecology and medical geography,

(MEGAMAP).

211976

from the USSR and most of the countries

Papers covered (1) the philosophy

from workers from the USSR),

large volumes of data in a form suitable

for mass comparisons,

7iNumber

and serious gaps in areal

and subject coverage, despite the existence on Medical Geography

from 1949,

of the Commission

and the present Standing

workers

Commission from 1988 to the present. Large parts of Europe workers * do not have well-development networks of workers in the field, and the evident applicability of the best research studies, On the comparable to that described for Germany and Britain. The teaching side the outstanding trend is perhaps the growing position of isolated workers or very small groups in developing well-versed

in the geography

participation

of the 1970s with biomedical

of professional

teaching of community

geographers

other social sciences and biomedical In developing

countries,

great, the picture

in team work

in the

countries

health, along with colleagues from scientists.

material

though the need for work

is generally

in the field is

one of isolated workers,

has been described above. While journal for the committed

after concluding

geography of nutrition,

contacts are fruitful,

as shown by the interesting

Indian surgeon, M. JOSHI,

of individuals

are far more extreme

from the developing

countries,

in Uganda.

criticism,

is itself quite patchy.

is verv largely for this reason that from 1964

common

It

onwards the

Libya,

Afghanistan,

19-23 May 1974, our field.

National

on Medical

illustrates an interesting

ft followed

an earlier, exploratory

Geography,

type of development symposium,

the Commission

was able to attend

and to contribute

DPen UniversitV

in

and was

an impromptu

with the help in sentence by as well as to present the

film on regional disparities

He was the onlv representative

in health

in Britain.

from a western country,

but

of

series from the Geomedical

Academy

of Sciences have laid

of regional memoirs, so far covering

Ethiopia

and Kuwait,

with Nigeria, for

So here we have a continuing

series

was considered

of the

in 1968

at the

sessions of the Union and again in 1972 at the

meetings.

medical geography

a very welt-organised and powerful meeting, held at a conference centre at the Black Sea resort and port of Varna. The Chairman of paper on Models in Medical Geography sentence translation of Dr. VACHKOV,

of the

tirelessly for more and

studies of the geography

monograph

of the Commission

Delhi plenary Congress

campaigned

studies on the chairman

which promises to fill gaps in the regional geography field as authors come forward. Abolition

grounds for cooperative

foundation

instance, in prospect.

Montreal The first Bulgarian

964,

Research Group of the Heidelberg an excellent

importance of contact through the Newdetter has been emphasized. So far it has proved more helpful and important that repeated attempts to find sufficient research programmes.

1949-l

Dr. J.M. MAY,

The splendid geomedical

and many sources

than can well be envisaged picture

massive multiple-volume

and

way. Even

nutrition.

even though in some of these-even

the most advanced countries-the

in an analytical

more detailed and more analytical

in 1972, But the

or very small groups, and

the isolation of these from contacts, of literature

Commission

paper by an

read at the Guelph seminar

or in the Atlas of Diseases from Makerere sporadic distribution

cross-discipline

interesting

coverage by

atlases of disease and of health services remains very partial,

of contact

Sometimes

research worker,

whole areas remain to be studied

often

feeling their isolation very much, and with varying degrees with medical workers.

articles and

edited volumes of papers are increasing and providing

by a Commission

It was cogently

argued that a field like

ought to be self-sufficient

general assembly voted in favour of continuing the Commission

after being nursed

since t 949, and it seemed clear that the the work of

largely because it was a commission

which

had tried to keep lines of communication flowing between workers in isolated situations in developing countries and those in centres of activity-and literature

of easy availability

in journals and abstracting

expensive books in developed of the Newletter

since 1972

of the

journals and often

countries.

Looking

at the issues

(see above) it is striking that few

Geoforum/Volume

contributions

7/Number

157

211976

have come from the developing

though it is hoped that the newsletter

countries

has continued

themselves;

to be of

benefit to them, there is a suggestion of one way traffic This is easily understood If the Commission

here.

in terms of the very factors of

isolation and often inadequate

facilities

is continued

already emphasized.

beyond

1976-as

would

presumed from its status as a standing commission-it

Amelioration all work

of the environment

in medical geography:

the aims of saving life, treating

illness

fin medical geography

rather of preventing

widely

it?), are

as to be almost always implicit.

be the better for explicit

be

values underlying

statements

about such matters

them: for instance forecasting

to increase the flow of quite informal

mortality

between

court the danger of assuming away the possibility

and the editors of the the Commission-of

Newsletter

and all the full members

to help with particular

problems.

and meetings at general helpful,

minimising

and discussants

on local symposia

conferences

travel costs as compared

involved in the quadrennial Regional

Initiatives

geographical

with those

of contact

to conservation

‘social engineering’

is to fill

which preventive medicine,

7. Conclusion

scientific

IGU Congress, let us

amelioration

To what extent

themes dealt with by the Commission-directly exerting

its influence

and persuasion.First,

bronchitis country,

or through

London

there is

1976,

wpung workers

practice,

receive an invitation

to write in a pre-eminent

young research workers,

source used by

and have done my best to respond (LEARMONTH, Turning

to scientific

forecasting,

in medical geography biomathematics. Heidelberg

(HOWE,

1972j,

mortality

included

on forecasting from principal

influential,

needed facilities

instance R.W. ARMSTRONG medical geography, health planning

BROWNLEA

of infectious

hepatitis

(in relation

Wales) has implications and complementary CHAPPELL

in Nangodi,

on modelling

for forecasting,

electronic

and WEBBER

human geography in TINLINE’s

treatment

the 1967-1968

epizootic

in South-Western

of planning a new settlement as example

and probably

on a scale worthy

interdisciplinary

of an international

the commitment workers-rather

of substantial

body?

of projects

the interest of only one or two specialists.

I am

should work on an

for funds during the Congress, and that we should

in

field is well enough developed collaborative

If so

only one or two,

numbers of

than a larger number

in our field. We should look especially work,

to countries

workers would make little difference

workers

where the

to give a good foundation

but not so developed

bodies

for

that a few full time

to progress over the next

four years or so.

pathology New South

References

innovative

England,

work

des Deutschen

with that undesirable

it

Institut,

Veroffentlichungen

Anne. (1975):

for the geographer British Geographers

Neue Folge 25/26,

Leipzig.

J. and M.J. WEBBER

Study Group

Geographic-eine

lnstituts fur Landerkunde,

of spatial diffusion COLE,

Medizinische Wissenschaftliche

Bibliographisches

CHAPPELL,

in

that

noted below.

VEB

and

disease in cattle

H. von (1968):

Auswahlbibliographie.

planar graph

medical geography

as compared

ARNHOLD,

of a wave in

of the effects of this desirable way

IGNATI’EV’s

ripe for major advances in 1976?-for

for

in England and Wales. In the USSR,

seems of the essence of preventive

in

not only

try to provide evidence that would convince grant-giving

and

links with moden

of foot-and-mouth

there should be forecasting one-taking

diffusion

are seen in Peter HAGGETT’s

analysis of measles movements

teams function

is monitored,

as has the quite different

hardware

(1970);

to

Ghana,

the geographic to Wollongong,

at the

that they should help to increase the number of full-time

and mapping

Northern

how mixed discipline

and how the implementation

application

of cyclic advance and retreat of river

blindness (onchocercrasis)

in the faiga

We very much look forward

inclined to think that a sub-committee

in the US; then there is J.M. HUNTER’s

classic hypothesis

and particularly

which attract

techniques

for forecasting,

on computers

Congress in 1964.

competent

as well as likely

and later on medical geography

or

work of Soviet medical

relation to new settlements

for instance, as described by IGNATI’EV

commanding of the

killing diseases, already cited as

papers have potential

in

environments

I believe we must select only very few projects,

Several of the papers in the McGLASHAN

volume of collected

Arthur

and

PYLE’s

with modern

the continuation

of past mistakes, of faulty

major advances by international,

at the 1972

Europe.

immediately team work,

an aspect of preventive

in Leeds to the preventive

collaboration

some classic forecasting

links this kind of thinking

of projection.

medical geography,

/s medical geography

1975).

as in epidemiology

likely spread of El Tor cholera towards monograph

to one of yet more complex

for the first few years but also over the longer term.

world,

we find a long history

The paper by H.J. JUSATZ

symposium

to

at least in the Englishspeaking

of individuals

hearing more of these matters from our hosts in the USSR in

the vital matter of securing a flow of good and committed in the field: here I have been fortunate

manipulation

may find a role in preventing

geographers-in

are these

however,

in the past to social stopping short of the

flowing from such past mistakes. One’s mind leaps from

for this symposium-

of the environment,

of the environment.

in Leeds

perhaps a physical

To envisage such developments

worse the repetition

forecasting,

conservation

or ‘big brother’

and communities? changes the picture

progress since the 1972

on bronchitis

for physical planning,

entities and social relationships-while

gaps areal and in topics.

Having reviewed

) does

of prevention

of the broad sense of balanced

planning more sensitive than sometimes

and stimulus

now return to the broad themes presented

1971

of resources, as suggested earlier, medical geography

has clear implications

Congresses or the inter-congress

Congresses. Frequency

Turning utilization

surely has a place. A study like GIRT

would be

seems of the essence if the work of the Commission

(as in PYLE,

of cancer or of some of the cancers?

of

course with recourse to other corresponding

members and others in search of the right contacts

and the needed facilities

of the

likely cancer

seem important

like those mentioned

SO

Some studies might

correspondence

isolated workers

in nearly

discipline of medicine, acceptable

would

is at least implicit

by analogy with the sister

(1970):

Electronic

simulation

processes; Reg. Studies 4, 25-39. Nutrition-facts, concerned

Conference,

Symposium,

fallacies and implications

with development. Oxford,

6 January

Medical

1975.

Institute

of

Geography