COURAGEOUS OFFER

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1932, Page 5

COURAGEOUS OFFER

’ " ■ ' I BY A DOCTOR IN CAUSE OF MEDICAL SCIENCE. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) BOSTON, September 21. It is understood that a daring and courageous offer to aid Austrai-ian medical science in its particular difficulty has been made by Doctor LVlacNamara. The Commonwealth Laboratory, of •Melbourne, in order to strengthen its own cultures of the bacillus of cerebro meningitis, has attempted to import cultures of the disease from the New York State. Health Department, at Albany, but such bacilli, as have been sent in sealed containers, ( by mail, (have '.arrived dead. Dr -MacNamara, who is shortly returning to Australia, following on the completion of this studies of infantile paralysis here, has offered to carry back the cerebro meningitis cultures in open containers, maintaining them in a warm temperature, by means of a thermos flask, and each four days subcuilturing them. This is a complex mod e of transportation, which has been successfully carried out by Scandanaviati bacteriologists, It has the approval of Rockfeller Institute of Scientists here, and it is understood that Dr MaoNamara’ (has sought the permission of the ’Australian authorities. The Commonwealth Health Officer will be asked ‘for the approval and the consent of the steamships will also be sought. Despite the foot that these are a virulent bacillus and that it, if necessary to. convey them in open containers, the Commonwealth medical requirements are (believed to make this step essential, and it is expected that the endorsement of the high scientific body will assure the permission of the authorities concerned.