The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1915. MYSTERY IN MEDICINE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2393, 24 February 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1915. MYSTERY IN MEDICINE

"There should be no mystery in medicine." This remark was made by Dh. Irving in the course of, his presidential address at the STew Zealand Medical Conference which commenced its proceedings at Christchurch on Tuesday. There certainly is a good deal of mystery m medicine, and the doctors thomselvcs aro responsible for not a little of it. Dr. Irving is evidently aware of the fact that some, members of the medical profession seem to take a positive delight in creating the impression that the doctor's sphere of activity is holy ground, and that it would be almost sacrilege to give full and frank expression to his professional opinions in the vulgar tongue. T)r. Ikving does not believe in this ancient superstitidn. He does not see any necessity for mystery. "The state of a case as the doctor sees it should," he says, "bo explained to the patient as far as possible, taking care not to go to the other extreme, and make confusion worse confounded by using long technical names or persisting in telling him gruesome details of operations.." This, taken as a general rule, is sound common sense, and expresses the modern view as to the relation between doctor and patient wffich is rapidly superseding the oldfashioned method of keeping the sick man in. the dark regarding tba nature of his ailment and of the physic he has to take. The old idea that medical science has an element of mystery about it which differentiates it from other forms of knowledge is, however, likely to die hard. As a matter of fact, there is some' .■justification for this view. The doctor's work really has a mystical s:de. Sick and well alike aro made up of mind as well as body, and mind and body act and react on 'each other in ways that are none the less real • because they cannot be accurately defined. The physician is thus.brought in Contact' with the problem of personality. Here he comes face to face with mystery. But Dr. Irving was not dealing' with this aspect of the question when he declared that there should be no mystery in medicine. Though the practice of medicine goes back to the beginning' of human history, it is nevertheless one of the most progressive of sciences. In modern times it has made wonderful strides, _ and the doctor's sphere of activity is'being continually- extended. He has to look after the public health as well as the health of private people. The State and the municipality require his services, and he also has'his place in the school and the workshop. It is of tho utmost importance that the community should be able to rely upon an adequate, supply 0 f highly-trained medical expertsequipped with the latest and best theoretical and practical knowledge. New Zealand has a Medical Schooi of its own, and it is satisfactory to know that in the opinion of " Dr. Irving the men who are being trained at Dunedin arc, as far as theoretical knowledge is concerned, in every way equal to those turned ' out by the older British, schools. Drt. Irving draws attention to the great demand for doctors in connection with the war, and points out that it is very desirable that ■ as many young men as can' should adopt a medical career. Ho has every reason to bo proud of the fine response which the doctors and metliuaJ students Jsave to the'

Empire's call. The achievements of the Army Medical Corps at the front have been really_ wonderful, both as regards sanitation and organisation, as we M 35 the actual treatment of the wounded. In previous wars more men_ have been killed by disease than in actual battle; but in the present struggle statistics show that a very effective check has been placed on the ravages of disease . among tho British, Prenoh, and Belgian troops, while the percentage of deaths - from wounds has been remarkably low. The French Government recently issued figures showing tho percentage of wounded men who have recovered, or arc recovering, and are, or will be, fit again for servicc. The figures are taken up to Decern tier l-.— Per cent.

Wounded, but fit for almost immediate return to the front 5iM Wounded, and on leave 1 24.50 Wounded, and still in hospital 17ii0 Permanently disabled and unfit for, further service 1.48 Wounded, and died from wounds ... 3.-18 The enormous proportion of complete recoveries testifies to the "humaneness" of the modern bullet and to the great skill of the surgeons, says the Spectator The doctors at the front and their assistants have not spared themselves,. and at least one New Zealand medical man, Dk. Kaktin, of' Palmerston''North, has been mentioned in dispatches ior conspicuous services. The work which these men are doing for the Empire is just i as important as that of the soldiers_ wno are actually fighting in the trenches, anu they are working with the same unfailing cheerfulness and devotion to duty as Tommy Atkins himself, whose praise is in everyone's mouth. Of course, many young men who would otherwise have bcen_ studying for a medical career have joined the fighting forces, the result being .that the number of medical students in the United Kingdom _ is more than a thousand less than in 1913. This is a very grave matter. The president of the Genera! Medical Council, in reviewing the position, states that "in view of _the additional losses among the senior practitioners due directly or indirectly to the war, the prospective diminution of our reserve supply calls for serious consideration." Other professions are faced with the same difficulty of keeping up the supply of properlytrained men. This is one of the many problems which a great war creates. The effects of the war will continue to be felt in a number of ways long after the actual fighting is uvaf.