HEALTH RESEARCH

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1927, Page 4

HEALTH RESEARCH

I’AsT VX Ail’S WO UK. 11 Aim I.TOX, June 2d. The health research activities conducted in Xetv Zealand during Just voa.r were the subject of an interest.ug review by the lion. .1. A. Voting (.Minis Ur of Heai'ih) in ills pro-sessional r.tl-iire-s at Hamilton to-night, when tie also stated what proposals were li! Ay in the coming year.

The research carried out had In m of laboratory invest igutious, and Ji -Id

inquiries, studies in laboratories, pi nci pally of infantile paralysis, rheuma-

toid arthritis and goitre. Difficulties had been encountered in regard to infantile paralysis work, and, while eonsitleiahle progress had been made in the technique sumv.nding the problem, no J.-.iiiito advance rout'd he claimed of the knowledge of the disease, lilt uimifoid arthritis was a particularly o.stress'iig disease, and required spe nil detailed investigation in the Dominion. Dr Steensen hail conducted laborious complement fixation tests as elaborated by certain workers in America, and Irs investigations did not sustain the claims of tbo.se woi io ; s in regard in the diagnosis and iieeiment of rl: i::at:>i.l arthritis. Ids findings be t.; more or less of a negative natr ~*. Another inquiry had been carried r it in connection with goitre and detail d chemical investigations had broil m ie into the proportion of online for:ul mnier the soil and vegetable:, in d ; - ferent parts of the Dominion. Hc-ng-gcsteil that the range oi invest ’gal ii’n should he widened in the coming ;,,„r. field inquiries conducted during the year inehuletl an investigation into cancer by Dr Fulton, the sum of £2200 being available for the work, fhe Government was providing hai'f of the cost. Or Fulton’s report had not. yet been completed. A second inquiry had been made into the incidence of tuberculosis in school children, and a harmless test had been applied in a certain standard school with the result that a definite conclusion bail boon arrived at.

Anthropometric experiments concerning the weight and height of Xew Zealand school children provided a further field of enquiry, and condition of rural school children had also been investigated .

The proposals for the coming year included the further investigation of inf:\nliie paralysis, an enquiry into the history of the hydatids parasite, ami the classification of various grasses in New Zealand from the point of view ol pollination m connection with has fever. It had been resolved to carry on the investigations into rheumatic diseases and goitre. Ibo held i\oik would be extended to include an inquiry into tbe incidence ol cancel among the Maoris, the establishment of a school of nutrition classes, attention to the pre-school child, and observations regarding children in contact with tuberculosis cases. Further work would be undertaken if possible in connection with maternal mortality and first month infant mortality.