ELECTION CANDIDATES
1
1068 equitable distribution of general endowments would help to establish an integrated service. The committee suggests that distinction awards should not be made by the authority, but should be granted in Northern Ireland either by a single committee, with jurisdiction over the whole of the United Kingdom, to which Northern Ireland advisers should be attached, or by a committee appointed by the minister of health and local government. Tuberculosis Services The tuberculosis authority, the committee proposes, should also become an agent of the ministry, with the majority of its members appointed by the minister and not as at present by local authorities. A system of retire- ment by rotation should be introduced. When the authority was appointed tuberculosis was a serious problem in Northern Ireland ; and the authority has an impressive record of achievement. Its success tends to diminish the need for its separate existence, but the committee believes that it still has useful work before it. A substantial proportion of the tuberculosis beds are provided by the hospitals authority, and the committee is concerned about the possible ill effects of a prolonged separation of tuberculosis from general medicine. Savings in operating and administrative costs should accrue from the amalgamation of the two bodies, and the committee believes that it would be in the best interests of the patients to treat tuberculosis not in hospitals set aside exclusively for that purpose, but in annexes of general hospitals. In its view the functions of the tuberculosis authority in providing hospital services might be trans- ferred to the hospitals authority within a period of, say, five years. The committee was undecided whether clinic and domiciliary services should be vested in the hospitals authority or in health and welfare authorities. General Practice The committee considers that the general health services board should become an agent of the ministry; that the term of office of members should be reduced from 5 to 3 years; that a third of the members should retire each year; and that a larger proportion should be lay members. It recommends that the board should take over the administration of supplementary eye services from the hospitals authority. The board controls the admission of doctors to its medical list, and the committee agrees that the present control of entry into general practice should be continued for several years. " Its abandonment in present circum- stances would undoubtedly lead to a reiiewatyof competi- tion from which none would gain in the long run-." But the committee regards control as by no means a desirable long-term solution, and recommends that there should be a survey " directed towards the ascertain- ment of the conditions and quality of general practice." ELECTION CANDIDATES THE lists of candidates include the names of the following medical men and women : LONDON BOROUGHS Bermondsey.-Catherine Orr-Ewing, M.B. Lond. (C). Poplar.-G. F. Vaughan, M.B. Lond. (C). PROVINCES Barking.-* Somerville Hastings, F.R.c.s. (Lab). Batley and Morley.-* A. D. D. Broughton, M.B. Capab. (Lab). .Buckingham.-D. G. Evans, M.D. Lond. (Lab). Carlisle.-D. McIntosh Johnson, M.B. Camb, (C). . Gasp,ort and Fareham.-* R. F. B. Bennett, B.M. Oxfd (C). Hendon.-Bernard Homa, M.R.c.s. (Lab). LougAborough.-J. D. Cronin, F.R.C.S. (Lab). Louth.-D. R. L. M. Poirier, M.R.c.s. (Lab). Luton.-* Charles Hill, r.c., M.D. Caiyib. (L and C). Ripon.-* Colonel Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, 0.1g.B., M.D. Leeds (C). " Stoke-on-Trent, Cerat-ral.-* Barnett Stross, m.B. Leeds (Lab). Walsall, North.-F. R. Roberts, M.B. Birm. (L and C). Warrington.-* Edith Summerskill, ’P.c., Nr.a.c.s. (Lab). Wells.-Max Bresler, M.R.c.s. (Lab). WALES Y3recon and Radnor.-W. S. Russell Thomas, M.B. Camb. (L). SCOTLAND G’li,tsgou7, KellJingrove.-* Walter Elliot, P.C., M.C., M.B. Glasg. (C). Perth and East Perthshire.—R. D. McIntyre, M.B. Edin. (Scot. Nat). Renfrewshire East.-J. D. Mabon, M.B. Glasg. (Lab and Coop). ’ U, (conservative. Coop, Coöperative. Lab, Labour. L, Liberal. Scot. Nat, Scottish National. * A candidate who was a member of the last Parliament. The Wider World CHINESE MEDICINE D. W. JAMES M.B. Lond. LECTURER IN ANATOMY, UNIVERSITY C’OLLEGE, LONDON China, like India, has two systems of medical practice. Side by side with Western scientific medicine exists an indigenous system with a history covering many hundreds of years. When the Communist government came to power it was faced with a shortage of technicians in all fields, and medicine was no exception. An immense programme of expansion of medical schools and hospitals was begun. Graduates from these schools were trained in Western medicine, but the development and investi- gation of traditional Chinese medicine was also encour- aged. The Communist attitude is determined by the simple thesis that the experience of hundreds of years is likely to contain things of value. Their hypothesis is not that Chinese medicine is anachronistic, but that its claims are worth investigation, so that anything useful it contains may be incorporated into the body of modern Chinese medical practice. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The first known Chinese materia medica is believed to have been written some 5000 years ago by the Emperor Shen Nung (an English edition was published in 1911). The remedies it describes include opium, rhubarb, arsenic, and iron. Hwang Ti, over 2000 years ago, may have anticipated the discovery of the circulation of the blood ; for, though he offered no experimental verifi- cation, he wrote : " All the blood in the body is under the control of the heart. The blood current flows con- tinuously in a circle, and never stops." In ancient times the Chinese practised inoculation against smallpox by insufflating dried scabs from a sufferer into the nose. Cretins were fed on sheep’s thyroid and in the first century A.D. Hua Tu is believed to have used cannabis indica as an anaesthetic. Practitioners of Chinese medicine, like their European colleagues until recent times, served an apprenticeship of four to seven years. The apprentice learned his profession from day-to-day contact with his master in the routine of practice. Though the scheme of instruction was thus ill defined, a system of government examination and registration has existed for over 2000 years, and practice without registration has been illegal. There were private medical schools teaching Chinese medicine in Peking and Shanghai, but after the 1911 revolution they gradually closed down, and between 1911 and 1949 there were only eight qualifying examinations in traditional medicine, all held in Shanghai.
Transcript of ELECTION CANDIDATES
1068
equitable distribution of general endowments wouldhelp to establish an integrated service.The committee suggests that distinction awards should
not be made by the authority, but should be grantedin Northern Ireland either by a single committee, withjurisdiction over the whole of the United Kingdom, towhich Northern Ireland advisers should be attached,or by a committee appointed by the minister of healthand local government.
Tuberculosis Services
The tuberculosis authority, the committee proposes,should also become an agent of the ministry, with themajority of its members appointed by the minister andnot as at present by local authorities. A system of retire-ment by rotation should be introduced. When the
authority was appointed tuberculosis was a serious
problem in Northern Ireland ; and the authority hasan impressive record of achievement. Its success tendsto diminish the need for its separate existence, but thecommittee believes that it still has useful work before it.A substantial proportion of the tuberculosis beds are
provided by the hospitals authority, and the committeeis concerned about the possible ill effects of a prolongedseparation of tuberculosis from general medicine. Savingsin operating and administrative costs should accrue fromthe amalgamation of the two bodies, and the committeebelieves that it would be in the best interests of the
patients to treat tuberculosis not in hospitals set asideexclusively for that purpose, but in annexes of generalhospitals. In its view the functions of the tuberculosis
authority in providing hospital services might be trans-ferred to the hospitals authority within a period of, say,five years. The committee was undecided whether clinicand domiciliary services should be vested in the hospitalsauthority or in health and welfare authorities.
General Practice
The committee considers that the general healthservices board should become an agent of the ministry;that the term of office of members should be reducedfrom 5 to 3 years; that a third of the members shouldretire each year; and that a larger proportion shouldbe lay members. It recommends that the board shouldtake over the administration of supplementary eyeservices from the hospitals authority.The board controls the admission of doctors to its
medical list, and the committee agrees that the presentcontrol of entry into general practice should be continuedfor several years.
" Its abandonment in present circum-stances would undoubtedly lead to a reiiewatyof competi-tion from which none would gain in the long run-."But the committee regards control as by no means adesirable long-term solution, and recommends that thereshould be a survey " directed towards the ascertain-ment of the conditions and quality of general practice."
ELECTION CANDIDATESTHE lists of candidates include the names of the
following medical men and women :LONDON BOROUGHS
Bermondsey.-Catherine Orr-Ewing, M.B. Lond. (C).Poplar.-G. F. Vaughan, M.B. Lond. (C).
PROVINCES
Barking.-* Somerville Hastings, F.R.c.s. (Lab).Batley and Morley.-* A. D. D. Broughton, M.B. Capab.
(Lab)..Buckingham.-D. G. Evans, M.D. Lond. (Lab).Carlisle.-D. McIntosh Johnson, M.B. Camb, (C).. Gasp,ort and Fareham.-* R. F. B. Bennett, B.M. Oxfd (C).Hendon.-Bernard Homa, M.R.c.s. (Lab).LougAborough.-J. D. Cronin, F.R.C.S. (Lab).Louth.-D. R. L. M. Poirier, M.R.c.s. (Lab).Luton.-* Charles Hill, r.c., M.D. Caiyib. (L and C).
Ripon.-* Colonel Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, 0.1g.B., M.D.
Leeds (C). "
Stoke-on-Trent, Cerat-ral.-* Barnett Stross, m.B. Leeds (Lab).Walsall, North.-F. R. Roberts, M.B. Birm. (L and C).Warrington.-* Edith Summerskill, ’P.c., Nr.a.c.s. (Lab).Wells.-Max Bresler, M.R.c.s. (Lab).
WALES
Y3recon and Radnor.-W. S. Russell Thomas, M.B. Camb. (L).
SCOTLAND
G’li,tsgou7, KellJingrove.-* Walter Elliot, P.C., M.C., M.B. Glasg.(C).
Perth and East Perthshire.—R. D. McIntyre, M.B. Edin.(Scot. Nat).
Renfrewshire East.-J. D. Mabon, M.B. Glasg. (Lab andCoop).
’
U, (conservative. Coop, Coöperative. Lab, Labour. L, Liberal.Scot. Nat, Scottish National.
* A candidate who was a member of the last Parliament.
The Wider World
CHINESE MEDICINE
D. W. JAMESM.B. Lond.
LECTURER IN ANATOMY, UNIVERSITY C’OLLEGE, LONDON
China, like India, has two systems of medical practice.Side by side with Western scientific medicine exists anindigenous system with a history covering many hundredsof years. When the Communist government came topower it was faced with a shortage of technicians in allfields, and medicine was no exception. An immense
programme of expansion of medical schools and hospitalswas begun. Graduates from these schools were trainedin Western medicine, but the development and investi-gation of traditional Chinese medicine was also encour-aged. The Communist attitude is determined by thesimple thesis that the experience of hundreds of years islikely to contain things of value. Their hypothesis isnot that Chinese medicine is anachronistic, but that itsclaims are worth investigation, so that anything usefulit contains may be incorporated into the body of modernChinese medical practice.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The first known Chinese materia medica is believed tohave been written some 5000 years ago by the EmperorShen Nung (an English edition was published in 1911).The remedies it describes include opium, rhubarb,arsenic, and iron. Hwang Ti, over 2000 years ago, mayhave anticipated the discovery of the circulation of theblood ; for, though he offered no experimental verifi-cation, he wrote : " All the blood in the body is under thecontrol of the heart. The blood current flows con-
tinuously in a circle, and never stops." In ancient timesthe Chinese practised inoculation against smallpox byinsufflating dried scabs from a sufferer into the nose.Cretins were fed on sheep’s thyroid and in the first
century A.D. Hua Tu is believed to have used cannabisindica as an anaesthetic.
Practitioners of Chinese medicine, like their Europeancolleagues until recent times, served an apprenticeshipof four to seven years. The apprentice learned his
profession from day-to-day contact with his master inthe routine of practice. Though the scheme of instructionwas thus ill defined, a system of government examinationand registration has existed for over 2000 years, andpractice without registration has been illegal. There wereprivate medical schools teaching Chinese medicine in
Peking and Shanghai, but after the 1911 revolution theygradually closed down, and between 1911 and 1949there were only eight qualifying examinations intraditional medicine, all held in Shanghai.
