LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1943, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Blood Transfusion. Methods used by the Bth Army for blood transfusion in the front line of battle were introduced to the New Zealand Division by Temporary Brigadier P. A. Ardagh, D. 5.0., M.C., the wellknown Christchurch surgeon, who has been made a commander of the military division of the Order of the British Empire for distinguished service in the Middle East. Brigadier Ardagh, who is Deputy-Director of Medical Services of a corps of the Bth Army, was formerly Assistant Director of Medical Services of the New Zealand Division. Presbyterian General Assembly. The annual General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand will open in First Church, Dunedin, on November 3, and the sessions will continue for at least a week. There will be some 300 delegates, representing practically every parish in the Dominion. The assembly is to be asked to approve the raising of a Thanksgiving and Memorial Fund of £50,000, to be used for post-war reconstruction and reimbursment on the overseas mission fields of the church and for extension and development in new areas in the Dominion. High Price of Beef. Unable to reconcile its view of values with the prices being asked by producers, a largt* wholesale firm which supplies an average of 100 beef bodies a week to Wellington retailers, has ceased to operate- on the current market for beef. It is stated that the firm has been offering 50s per 1001 b. for prime beef, but producers are seeking, and able to obtain, because of the strong demand, 60s to 655. City butchers who formerly drew their supplies of beef from this firm have been forced to make what other arrangements they can, but it is understood that none have yet ceased to sell beef. The wholesale firm mentioned finished its supplies last Monday. Plastic Surgery. A conference between officers of the Health and Army Departments to discuss the question of additional accommodation for patients requiring plastic surgical treatment is to be called by the Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeycr. The Minister made this announcement at Christchurch yesterday after he had visited Burwood Hospital and paid special attention to the plastic surgical unit established for the care and treatment of service men. “It is obvious that the hospital is working under certain disadvantages, and every effort will be made to try to overcome these,” said Mr Nordmeyer. “It appears that the need for providing fully for all cases requiring plastic treatment will necessitate additional accommodation and an early decision will be reached as to whether this should be provided in Christchurch or elsewhere.”

Fall from Motor Cycle. Private Douglas Smith, 2nd N.Z.E.F.. of Mauriceville West, was admitted to the Masterton Hospital last night with abrasions to his face. It is understood

that the motor cycle he was riding skidded near the Opaki ramp. His condition this morning was reported to be satisfactory.

Gifts Acknowledged. The matron of the Masterton Hospital (Miss H. D. Grant) wishes to acknowledge with grateful thanks the following gifts:—Extras for patients from R.S.A., Crippled Children’s Society, Women’s National Welfare League, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Women’s Committee of the Labour Party, Red Cross Society, Opaki Women’s Institute. Books: Mesdames Pawson, E. White (Manaia), Messrs Rogers (Renall Street), R. Matthews (Opaki Road), F. Duckett (Rangitumau). Flowers: Mauriceville West . Sunday School, MesDamcs Ghorley, Pawson and Watson, Masterton Junior Red Cross, "Glendonald” Station, Mikimiki Junior Red Cross. Old linen: Red Cross Sewing Circle. Donation of money for Ward 2 Christmas fund: Te Whiti Junior Red Cross.

Women’s Land Army. During the week the Wairarapa Farmers’ Co-operative Association have had a splendid display in a Queen Street window of their Masterton branch. The display features the equipment which is supplied to girls who enter the Women’s Land Service. The gear issued to the girls included a pair of tan dress shoes, two pairs of brown leather working boots, a pair of wooden clogs, three pair of lisle stockings, three pairs of bib overalls, three pairs of working shirts, a lined leather jerkin, an oil canvas coat, sou’wester hat, straw hat, beret, woollen socks, dress blouses, gloves, dress costume, etc. The clothing is of specially good quality and of stylish cut. Any fit girl over 17 years of age is eligible to join and the local branch of the Women's War Service Auxiliary will be pleased to interview recruits. Spread of Goitre. The urgent nutritional problem presented in the Dominion by goitre was the subject of an address at Dunedin on Thursday night by Dr. C. E. Hercus, dean of the Medical School. Dr. Hercus stated that both simple and toxic goitre were still widespread and the incidence of the simple type among children was a stern reminder of failure to apply existing knowledge to the people’s nutritional needs. It was a simple matter to supply iodine deficiency in domestic salt, when simple goitre would disappear in a generation. He emphasised, however, that the prophylaxis would be ineffective unless iodized salt were used both for cooking and table. In the meantime, he said, the cause of toxic goitre, which was the outstanding problem in thyroid pathology, remained unknown, but the main fact was that a reduction in the incidence of simple goitre would automatically reduce the incidence of toxic goitre.