America and Health

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 173, 12 October 1927, Page 1

America and Health

AUSTRALIANS INVESTIGATE Many Lessons Learned THREE Australian medical men have been studying public 1 health work in the United States, and they say they have learned much. They carried out their investigations in conjunction with the Rockefeller Institute, and received courtesy and help from all the American experts.

By Cable.—Press Association.—-Copyright. Reed. 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Tuesday. T)R. ROBERTSON, Dr. Dick, and Dr. Atkinson have arrived here, following a three-months’ tour of North America, visiting 27 States and the Province of Ontario, and inspecting : institutions devoted to public health work and education. They will depart for England on October 13. After a fortnight’s stay, : Dr. Robertson and Dr. Atkinson will ' return to Australia, and Dr Dick will proceed to the Continent to continue i his studies. i The doctors praised the uniform courtesy and help received in America in the pursuance of their inquiries, ! which were made in conjunction with ■ the Rockefeller Institute. They pointed 1 out that they had devoted attention 1 chiefly to questions of general policy ' and administration, and the conclusions would naturally depend on fur- < ther study, on the basis of the docu- i ments which they collected. i Three interesting features of public .

health work, with a bearing on Australian conditions, are the chlorination of water and sewage disposal, the pasteurisation of milk, and the public health nurse. They found that water supply and sewage disposal was one combined problem. Water nearly everywebere was being chlorinated, and sewage was in many cases denatured before it was permitted to enter the rivers, etc. Dr. Robertson expressed the hope that Australian towns, in planning such public works, mif;ht obviate the necessity of expensive processes. Pasteurisation is supervised by the authorities, but the supervision is complicated by a great number of pasteurisation plants. Fewer centralised plants .make the supervision more effective and easy. Great emphasis is placed on the work of the public health nurse in America, and while Australia Is familiar with this field, it is less spec ialised there.— A. and N.Z.