729

resistance against stagnant conformity in psychoanalysis. Inthe last of Alexander’s works, The Western Mind in Transition,he included autobiographical passages which, like many of histechnical writings, show what a fresh, courageous, and

stimulating mind he had. His lectures and the 14 books hewrote were characterised by clarity, breadth of view, andcommon sense; they were authoritative expositions of psycho-analysis, psychosomatic medicine, and the psychopathology ofcrime. Once when he was asked what difference he notedbetween life in Europe and life in the United States, he saidthat in Europe his professional life had been an appendage ofhis personal life but in America the opposite was true. Heliked America, he brought psychoanalysis close to medicinethere through his determined advocacy of a psychosomaticconception of all disease, and he taught many of his pupils toenlarge their view beyond the strict application of standardpsychoanalytic procedure and psychodynamic principles. Hisefforts at relating a specific character structure to such con-ditions as peptic ulcer proved erroneous in the light of moresearching inquiries, but his bold hypotheses served to evoke,or provoke, such inquiries and so led to productive experiments."

Diary of the Week

MARCH 29 TO APRIL 4Tuesday, 31stINSTITUTE OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNÆCOLOGY2 P.M. (Hammersmith Hospital, W.12.) Mr. C. J Dewhurst: Pasdiatrie

Gynaecology.ROYALARMY MEDICAL COLLEGE, Millbank, S.W.1

5 P.M. Mr. T. G. Ward: Advances in Oral Surgery.

Wednesday, 1stMANCHESTER MEDICAL SOCIETY

4.30 P.M. (Medical School, University of Manchester.) Dr. J. AngellJames: Hypophysectomy and its Clinical Application.

Thursday, 2ndINSTITUTE OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNACOLOGY3 P.M. (Queen Charlotte’s Hospital, W.6.) Mr. J. A. Chalmers, Mr. A. L.

Gunn: Ventouse or Forceps.ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL DERMATOLOGICAL SOCIETY5p.M. (Middlesex Hospital Medical School, W.1.) Prof. J. B. Kinmonth,

Mr. Noel Thompson, Dr. P. D. Samman, Dr. P. F. Borrie:The Lymphatics and the Skin.

Friday, 3rdASSOCIATION OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICAL OFFICERS

2.30 P.M. (Royal College of Surgeons of England, Lincoln’s Inn Fields,W.C.2.) Mr. Norman Capener: The Hand in Surgery and Indus-try. (Society of Apothecaries’ lecture.)

INSTITUTE OF LARYNGOLOGY AND OTOLOGY, 330, Gray’s Inn Road, W.C.13.30 P.M. Mr. R. F. McNab Jones: Dysphagia.5.30 P.M. Mr. Henry Shaw: Surgery or Radiotherapy for Cancer of the

Larynx and Pharynx.

Appointments

CMUSE, JACK, M.B. Lond., D.P.M. : senior assistant psychiatrist (S.H.M.O.),Rauceby Hospital, Sleaford, Lincs.

DAWSON, A. M., M.R.C.S., M.R.C.O.G.: consultant obstetrician and gyna:co-logist, Devon and Exeter clinical area.

GREE,N. A., M.B. Lond., F.R.C.S.: consultant surgeon, Norfolk and Norwicharea.

HIDER, C. F., M.B. Edin., F.F.A. R.C.S.: consultant anaesthetist. Royal Infirmaryof Edinburgh.

JOHNSTONE, R. D., M.B. Edin., M.R.C.O.G., D.OBST.: consultant obstetricianand gynæcologist, West Suffolk area.

NORMAN, J. E., M.B. Edin., F.F.A. R.C.S., D.A.: consultant anaesthetist, Edin-burgh northern hospital group.

REG.tx, MILLICENT M. C., M.B. Lpool, D.P.H.: deputy M.O.H. and school M.O.,Bootle, Lancashire.

SHIMMINGS, K. 1., M.B. Lond., F.F.A. R.C.S., D.A., D.OBST.: consultantanæsthetist, Swindon/Cirencester area.

St. George’s Hospital, London:AMIAS, A. G., M.B. Lond., F.R.C.S., M.R.C.O.G. : consultant obstetrician and

gynecologist.DE MARE, P. B., M.R.c.s., D.P.M.: consultant psychotherapist.WILKINSON, K. W., M.S. Lond., F.R.C.S. : consultant surgeon.

Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London:EL-SHAFH, M. A. F., M.B. Cairo : house-surgeon.GUHA, R. K., M.B., B.sc.: resident pathologist (s.H.o. grade).TEJAVET, A., M.B. Edin. : house-physician.WHARTON, B. A., M.B. Birm., D.C.H. : house-physician.

Notes and News

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

THE 17th World Health Assembly, which opened in Genevaon March 2/ elected Dr. Monawar Khan Afridi (Pakistan) aspresident.

Dr. M. G. Candau, director-general of the World HealthOrganisation, presenting his report for 1963, said that theworld-wide malaria eradication programme was the largestmass campaign against disease undertaken in the history ofmankind. The population which could be regarded as safefrom this scourge had increased 14 times-from 49,500,000to 700,000,000-and according to conservative estimates theeradication programme was already saving the lives cf over2,000,000 people a year. There had been some failures;but on the whole the chances of defeating malaria were quitegood. " We are confident that we shall ultimately succeed inovercoming both the technical and administrative hurdles."Speaking of the training of auxiliary health workers, Dr.Candau suggested that this should not be excessive or too

complex, lest its very purpose-the speedy training of manyof these auxiliaries-be defeated. " The training of auxiliariesin medicine should on no account be confused with full medicaleducation and should never be construed as entailing thelowering of medical education standards in the country con-cerned." In medical education one of the greatest blocks toprogress was the lack of teachers, and especially of preclinicalteachers. This shortage was due to the generally poor con-ditions offered to full-time teaching staff compared with thematerial and other benefits enjoyed by physicians in privatepractice. In 1959 the Twelfth World Health Assembly haddecided that the time had come for W.H.O. to assume more

fully its constitutional responsibilities for research. Subse-

quently a group of distinguished scientific advisers had con-cluded that several vitally important biomedical problems couldbe explored only on a world-wide basis. They had recom-mended the creation, under the aegis of W.H.O., of a worldhealth research centre.

In an inaugural address the President observed that thepursuit of research had to be fitted cautiously into the otheractivities of W.H.O. " The prosecution of research for thesake of research is liable to create a state of self-indulgence andescapism from the harsh and unpleasant realities of life "; andthe more complete the divorce of research from practical healthproblems, the greater would be this danger. He added thathe made this point simply to emphasise the need for appliedresearch.

For the United Kingdom, Sir George Godber said that hecould not support the idea of a W.H.O. centre for fundamentalresearch in medical and allied biological fields. This was notbecause of costs but because the scientific concept seemed

wrong. Such research activities should be related to nationalhealth services.The Assembly adopted an effective working budget for 1965

of$38,360,000. This represents an increase of some 11 % overthe figure for 1964.The legal and financial advisory committee recommended

that the Assembly suspend South Africa’s voting privilegeswhile taking steps to revoke its membership of W.H.O.2 Amotion to this effect was adopted by the Assembly,3whereupon the South African delegation withdrew.The Léon Bernard foundation prize was presented to Prof. Robert

Debré (France) for his contribution to social medicine, and theDarling foundation medal and prize were presented to Dr. Afridi,president of the Assembly, for his contribution to the study andcontrol of malaria.

University of LondonDr. R. A. Weale has been appointed to the readership in

physiological optics at the Institute of Ophthalmology.1. See Lancet, March 7, 1964, p. 568.2. Times, March 19, 1964.3. Guardian, March 20, 1964.