MEDICAL CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 5

MEDICAL CONGRESS.

USE OF TUBERCULIN, By Tclesrapb—Press Association— Copyright (Rec. September 23, 0.20 a.m.) Sydney, September 22. Tho .Medical Congress to-day 'discussed tho value of tho tuberculin euro for consumption. Sir Phillip Sydney Jonos said tuberculin was very useful in certain cases that were hanging fire, but its indiscriminate uj-o was positively harmful. Ho bad seen it used in unsuitable cases ivith disastrous results. Dr. Schlinck stated that ho had begun ' to uso tuberculin in Sydnoy Hospital systematically, and the results were snch that instructions had been given to the general staff for its employment in all cases of tuberculosis. Every member of tho staff favoured it. This course had been decided upon after observations extending over four years. Disease Among Miners. Dr. Simmons, in a paper, dealt ■ with pulmonary diseases amongst quartz miners at Bendigo. • Tho total deaths from lung diseaso among tho men had risen from 77 per -10,000 in tho first quinquennial period to 155.10 in tho last period. This was. largely accounted for by tho inoreaso in the number of cases certified to as due to tuberculosis. Tropical Medicins. Dr. Breiul, in a paper on tropical medicine, said investigation during the past twenty years had convinced him that the unsuitability of a tropical climate for Europeans depends mostly on the prevalence of diseases carried by intermediary hosts, which flourish in oertain parts of the tropics. Yellow fever and malaria were both combatable by the uso of mosquito nets. • Another paper dealt with the spread of typhoid by house flies. It was stated that tho American Army Commission found during tho Spanish war that the flies inflicted a greater loss on tho American forces than the arms of Spain. There had similarly. been great losses in the Boer war. Tho use of kerosene and blue oil in keeping down flies was advocated.SOME INTERESTING PAPERS. [ A DANGER TO CHILDREN. Sydney, September 22; At tho Medical Congress, Dr. Gibson, speaking on tho subject of opthalmology, declared that plumbic optic neuritis in children was contracted through playing on painted verandahs. Tho opthalmic section was urged to reoommemd paint prepared with zinc, instead of lead,- as a basis. ' The Predominant.Disease, Dr< Barrett said that syphilis was the predominant disease among mankind. Ho raised tho question that if it woro suppressed, - which was quite possible, humans would usually live-to an -old ago. They certainly would have less eye and ear disease. ; Dr. Purdy, of New Zealand, read a paper on "Goitre." As tho result of investigations made in Tasmania and New Zealand ho was inclined to tho opinion that goitre was prevalent where people drank glacier water or lived on flats through which glacier water drained. Shack. A .paper on "Syncope, Collapse, and '.Shook 1 ' discussed;?'' Dr. Martin, of New Zealand, declared that the influence of fear had a decided bearing on shock, and was a great mental factor to be Combated and allayed. Referring to battlefield injuries, he said tho memtal state of soldiers had an influence on tho production of shock. After the battles of Graspan and Belmont patients entered the hospitals in excellent spirits; after the disaster at Magersfontein they were depressed and miserable, tho shock was more pronounced, and their suffering greater. '