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South African Medical Record

A Monthly Journal devoted to the interests of the Medical Profession in South Africa

VOL. II.-No. 1.

Index.

SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL CONGRESS

REGISTRATIONS

LEADING ARTICLE-

THE SIXTH S.A. MEDICAL CONGRESS
PASSIM

CAPE TOWN, JANUARY 15, 1904

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THE NEED OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR SOUTH AFRICA.
BY E. B. FULLER, M.B., F.R.C.S., (ED.)

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South African Medical Congress.

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The sixth South African Medical Congress opened at
Cape Town on the 28th of December, after an inter-
mission of four years, due to the war. The attendance,
both of local practitioners and those from outside, was
good, although the latter was mostly from the Western
Districts of the Cape Colony, a fact not to be wondered
at, considering the magnificent distances of this sub-
continent, and the special difficulty which men with the
very best of intentions find in leaving their practices so
soon after the general upheaval caused by the war.
There were, however, three representatives from Natal,
one from the Transvaal, three from the Eastern Province
of the Cape Colony, and one from Kimberley. Neither
the O.R.C. nor Rhodesia were represented.

GENERAL BUSINESS.

Prior to the formal opening of the Congress, a day was
devoted to business of a general nature, Dr. Stevenson,
the President, taking the chair, and welcoming the
members in a few well chosen words.

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Dr. Darley-Hartley then read a paper on the formation
of a Medical Guild, pointing out in general terms the
absolute necessity of combination amongst medical men,
not only for the securing of just remuneration and rightful
privileges, but for expressing the views of the profession
as a body, and preserving it from that loss of ethical tone
which invariably followed overcompetition and the res
He reminded his hearers that all the
angusta domi.
world was combining nowadays, and that if they neglected
to follow suit they would certainly be crushed between
upper, nether and circumferential mill stones. He read
the draft Constitution, which has already appeared in
these columns, and emphasised the fact that it had no
authoritative character, but had only been prepared as
exhibiting the general idea of a Guild in a clearer way
than could be done in a mere paper. He and those who
had worked with him in preparing this draft wished it to
be clearly understood that, if it were thought practicable,
they were most anxious that the scheme, merely drafted
with a view to the Cape Colony, should be applied to the
whole of South Africa at once, as they knew it would
have to be so applied eventually to be anything of a
success. He then moved a resolution formally approving
the idea, and empowering a Guild Council to be elected
by Congress, to take the requisite steps for forming the
Guild for the Cape Colony on the lines indicated in the
draft Constitution.

Dr. G. G Eyre briefly seconded.

Dr. C. F. K. Murray was thoroughly in favour of the
proposal, but thought that it would require very careful
digestion before fixing on its details, and that it should be
applied to the whole of South Africa.

Dr. Currie (Maritzburg) said he had no hesitation in
speaking for the colony of Natal to the effect that his
confreres thoroughly recognised the need of combination,
although they might not agree on reflection with all the
details. The profession as a whole had never been able
to combine for business purposes, and they must do so
Medical matters in Natal were fairly well organised, with
one branch of the B.M.A. for the whole colony and three
local societies, but these did not altogether cover the
ground of a Guild. If some corresponding members of
the Committee were appointed for Natal, he felt certain,
although he could not, of course, speak with authority,
that, after all the details had been threshed out, almost
every member of the profession in his colony would join
in the formation of a Natal centre.

Dr. Napier said that the scheme had not been con-
sidered sufficiently carefully yet, although it had
appeared in the MEDICAL RECORD. He entirely approved
of the broad idea, but it involved a mass of detail, and it
was not a thing to rush into. To be any good, it must
include all the Colonies, and if it did, a large number of
practitioners would join. He moved as an amendment

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ON MEDI

JUN 10 11

South African Medical Record

A Monthly Journal devoted to the interests of the Medical Profession in South Africa

VOL. II.-No. 1.

Index.

SOUTH AFRICAN MEDICAL CONGRESS

REGISTRATIONS

LEADING ARTICLE

THE SIXTH S.A. MEDICAL CONGRESS

PASSIM

CAPE TOWN, JANUARY 15, 1904

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THE NEED OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR SOUTH AFRICA. BY E. B. FULLER, M.B., F.R.C.S., (ED.) ..

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The sixth South African Medical Congress opened at Cape Town on the 28th of December, after an intermission of four years, due to the war. The attendance, both of local practitioners and those from outside, was good, although the latter was mostly from the Western Districts of the Cape Colony, a fact not to be wondered at, considering the magnificent distances of this subcontinent, and the special difficulty which men with the very best of intentions find in leaving their practices so soon after the general upheaval caused by the war. There were, however, three representatives from Natal, one from the Transvaal, three from the Eastern Province of the Cape Colony, and one from Kimberley. Neither the O.R.Ĉ. nor Rhodesia were represented.

GENERAL BUSINESS.

Prior to the formal opening of the Congress, a day was devoted to business of a general nature, Dr. Stevenson, the President, taking the chair, and welcoming the members in a few well chosen words.

B

16021

PRICE 1/6

Dr. Darley-Hartley then read a paper on the formation of a Medical Guild, pointing out in general terms the absolute necessity of combination amongst medical men, not only for the securing of just remuneration and rightful privileges, but for expressing the views of the profession as a body, and preserving it from that loss of ethical tone which invariably followed overcompetition and the res angusta domi. He reminded his hearers that all the world was combining nowadays, and that if they neglected to follow suit they would certainly be crushed between upper, nether and circumferential mill stones. He read the draft Constitution, which has already appeared in these columns, and emphasised the fact that it had no authoritative character, but had only been prepared as exhibiting the general idea of a Guild in a clearer way than could be done in a mere paper. He and those who had worked with him in preparing this draft wished it to be clearly understood that, if it were thought practicable, they were most anxious that the scheme, merely drafted with a view to the Cape Colony, should be applied to the whole of South Africa at once, as they knew it would have to be so applied eventually to be anything of a success. He then moved a resolution formally approving the idea, and empowering a Guild Council to be elected by Congress, to take the requisite steps for forming the Guild for the Cape Colony on the lines indicated in the draft Constitution.

Dr. G. G Eyre briefly seconded.

Dr. C. F. K. Murray was thoroughly in favour of the proposal, but thought that it would require very careful digestion before fixing on its details, and that it should be applied to the whole of South Africa.

Dr. Currie (Maritzburg) said he had no hesitation in speaking for the colony of Natal to the effect that his confreres thoroughly recognised the need of combination, although they might not agree on reflection with all the details. The profession as a whole had never been able to combine for business purposes, and they must do so Medical matters in Natal were fairly well organised, with one branch of the B.M.A. for the whole colony and three local societies, but these did not altogether cover the ground of a Guild. If some corresponding members of the Committee were appointed for Natal, he felt certain, although he could not, of course, speak with authority, that, after all the details had been threshed out, almost every member of the profession in his colony would join in the formation of a Natal centre.

Dr. Napier said that the scheme had not been considered sufficiently carefully yet, although it had appeared in the MEDICAL RECORD. He entirely approved of the broad idea, but it involved a mass of detail, and it was not a thing to rush into. To be any good, it must include all the Colonies, and if it did, a large number of practitioners would join. He moved as an amendment

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LIBRARY

"That the proposal is considered by Congress advisable, and that therefore it appoints a committee to consider the whole subject."

Dr. Balfe (Durban) seconded the amendment.

Dr. C. F. K. Murray supported the amendment. He considered the scheme an excellent one for the profession, and he should like to see all the Colonies come in, but he thought its details should be carefully approached through the medium of the various Medical Societies.

Dr. Mackenzie (Durban) was entirely in accord with the idea, but he thought that even if a year's delay was involved, it was necessary to start on a sound foundation, involving all the Colonies, and Dr. Napier's suggestion to appoint a committee which could confer with all the Medical Societies in South Africa was a good one.

Dr. Darley-Hartley said that, with the consent of his seconder, he was quite prepared to substitute "South Africa" for "Cape Colony," but he thought it rather a pity to delay a year. The only difference between his proposal and the amendment was that he proposed to give a Council power to act for one year, and the amendment, only contemplated a Committee to consider. He reminded them that if his resolution were carried, it was expressly stipulated in the suggested Constitution that the whole scheme would come into the melting pot again at the next Congress. Dr. Napier's amendment seemed to him hardly definite enough.

Dr. Napier then re-drafted his amendment to read as follows: That this Congress, while endorsing the principle of the formation of a guild, is of opinion that a committee should be formed to consider the whole question, and draw up a scheme of a similar nature; and that the committee be instructed to communicate with the medical societies of the different colonies with the object of making the scheme applicable to the whole of South Africa, the committee to report to the next Congress."

The amendment was carried, and the the following committee appointed.

Drs. Darley-Hartley, Stevenson, Murray, Eyre, Wood and J. Hewatt. (Cape Peninsula): Drs. Strapp and Currie (Maritzburg): Dr. Temple Mursell (Johannesburg): Dr. Dalgleish (Bloemfontein): Dr. Strong (Bulawayo): Dr. Greathead (Grahamstown): Watkins (Kimberley).

Dr.

A MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR SOUTH AFRICA. Dr. E. B. Fuller then read a paper on the above subject, which is given in extenso elsewhere.

Dr. C. F. K. Murray, said that he had always been in sympathy with the idea of a South African Medical School, and that he thought that, inasmuch the great difficulty, that of an insufficient population, had now disappeared with the growth of such places as Cape Town and Johannesburg, the time was ripe or nearly ripe. Sir Michael Foster half a dozen years ago had expressed to him his surprise that they had no medical school, and had told him that there were even then no difficulties in the way of a preliminary course that would be recognised by Cambridge. He thought that now they were quite ready for a complete course. Now that post-graduate schools had opened all over Europe, there would be no difficulty in any South African graduate supplementing

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his study by a course in the great centres of medical teaching.

Dr. Darley-Hartley said he was only partially in favour of the formation of a South African Medical School. He had come to the conclusion that it would be an admirable thing for teachers, but he was not inclined to think that it would be a good thing for the students. It would certainly develop a sound class of specialists; but for the first twenty years it would be inefficient. If he personally had a son to send to medicine he would be sorry for that son if he was sent to such a medical school as proposed. Instancing the South African School of Mining, Dr. Darley-Hartley contended that the difficulties which that school had to encounter were enormous, and the study there was not equivalent to that obtained at Home. He confessed that he agreed with Mr. Rhodes that it was best for a young man to get his early education in South Africa, but that it was also best for him to go Home to complete it among the venerable surroundings of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Dr. Hartley affirmed that the Home universities broadened a young man's experience, and taught him to be and act like a gentleman. Regarding the Australian medical schools, the speaker said there was a great deal of diversity of opinion about them. A great many Australian practitioners were of opinion that they were really not of so much value as people make out. Dr. Hartley concluded by saying that although he did not want to throw cold water upon the scheme. he would certainly advocate caution.

Dr. Casalis considered that the time was not yet ripe for establishing a medical school in South Africa.

Dr. McKenzie (Durban) said that while he was thoroughly in sympathy with the object of Dr. Fuller, he thought that such a school would not be in an efficient state for years to come, he was, however, of opinion that preliminary study should be completed in South Africa, and that this study should be placed to the student's credit at Home.

Dr. Currie (Natal) supported Dr. Fuller's proposal. They all knew what influence a university had upon the country in general. The question of a medical school was bound up with a university. (Hear, hear.) It was time that the Cape University woke up to its position and became a teaching university like the London University. He considered that the time was now ripe for establishing a medical school in South Africa. Dr. Currie took exception to the remarks that had fallen from Dr. Darley-Hartley that a man ought to go Europe to learn how to become a gentleman. A man's character was not formed at a university, but as a child in his own home. He considered that the boys brought up in the South African College were quite as fit to take their place among gentlemen as any.

Dr. Griffiths (Cape Town) sugported Dr. Fuller. It had been contended that they had not enough men in South Africa capable of teaching. If that were so, the sooner South Africa cleared them out the better. Dr. Griffiths quoted several names of South African practitioners who would adorn professional chairs.

Dr. Richardson speaking as a newcomer, said it would be difficult to establish a medical school, but easy to start a post graduate school.

Dr. Dixon agreed with Dr. Richardson.

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