MODERN NOISES

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1930, Page 7

MODERN NOISES

EFFECT ON NEIU'OUS Si'STEAL

WIRE FIELD FOR RESEARCH

AVE-LLINGTON, A Fay 19.

A new vista is icing opened in the field of surgery through research and practical woik on the sympathetic nervous system, according .to Dr Raul G. Flothow, surgeon, of Seattle, who is a passenger to San Francisco by the AlaKura. Dr Flothow believes that the surgical work of the future will be constructive rather than destructive ; in other words, the operations will lie made more and more with a view to .obviating the mere removal of certain ports of the body. During a bridf vbit to Sydney made expressly for the pm-nose of studying progress in the effective treatment of the svmnathetic nervous system, Dr v lothnw said he was convinced that Dr Rovlo, its ardent exponent, was workin o- n nsound lines. T ,, « sympathetic nerves largely controlled the oneration -'f blood fln\v :-nul pressure, and he be-'i-vnd +l*rtt lunflioil science had a wide opd profitable avenue of research before it In ’uvostFoting this branch of „”"o”’rv. Dr Rnyle lmd already achieved notable Tn simple language the -vu"oat I 'o+ : p no-vous system had a nrofonn/i biflnence 11 non bodily functions. T '*- J-’vi-rting greater attention to it ivrn n-f’-bt bo able to nnnlv , fo’-’.'-'-'-'-ivc lff+bod sand avoid mere de-

struntive surgery. K' r ~„i-: no - on flip effect of noise on the norious syV+em, Dr Flothmv said there was. no don lit that the distrac'ions of modern life were having a definite effect upon Ivinan neural processes Yen ro t f hen in was a modern complaint and the hustle and noise of present lay life would he held largely rospon-■il-’r. for the “nerves’ from which neople suffered. Since the beginning of th/' century ITe had become iirmeasnrahlv far-oter. Noise had come into the

woriql as never before, and the city of: to-day was a* harassing place for the delicate nervous system. • The everlasting rush .in America, where the search after the dollar kept people for '•ver..,at. high’ tension, was becoming alunbearable,, at least, in the larger cities." Men and women never seemed to have time fori anything but work, ■and this was trying in that it was prac tioqlly endless and carried out at high nervous tension. Apart from thephysicological effects this ceaseless activity resulted in more subtle troubles affecting tho nerves. ' , Dr Fln+how advanced the interesting theory that as time weiit on the nervous system would attune itself to the noises of modern life. It iVas a fact that, material advancement had been somewhat ahead of the growth of the average man's mental capacity of recent years. The inventions and discoveries of the present century were the outcome of advanced research by sclmtts but ifor the great ma.ss of the people they towered above the common level.

In this respect the world had “got

ahead of itself.” The nervous system which was the “foils et origo” of all life, had been subjected by modern existence to a trying experience in attuning itself to the distractions which science had thrust upon it. However, it seemed fairly certain that the nervous

system would adapt itself to what was at present a severe strain upon it. 'nines which now gave a shock to- the nerves wo Id pass into the realm of the semi-conscious or even the sub-consci-ous. This would take time, probably -fdred of years, for the evolution of

-eh delicate and vital machinery as 'he nervous system would not take olnce in a generation. Tho standard of surgical work and hospital treatment in Australia was referred tn in the highest terms by Dr. Flothow. He said be had been struck i- v Fie Lowi'dinni Hospital in Sydney, wht'b lie- considered was one of the best of its kind to he ibumd aimvhere. Sur"'enns in Australia and New Zealand were held in high esteem and repute -ihrnnd and the work he saw performed hi Australia Imre out the reputation certain men h-d e-ained.