Our President, Ron Trubuhovich, brought us up to date in his Christmas Presidential Report, and this Newsletter serves to complement the remarks he made at that time.
The AGM has been and gone on Thursday March 5 with the election of Dr Bruce Conyngham to the Executive and a healthy balance sheet reported by Honorary Treasurer Susan Cameron. The evening suffered some disruption by the weather and traffic problems with resulting reduction in numbers (62), the late arrival of caterers (and members) and consequent rearrangement of the evening’s events. Despite all this, we were greatly entertained by John Richard’s film about Early Microscopes and Graeme Woodfield’s excellent presentation on Arthur Porritt.
The 2009 programme looks interesting and as usual, the ‘Named’ Lectures are of particular note. The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth (as well as the 150th of the publication of his ‘On the Origin of Species’) and Prof Peter Gluckman as James Newman Lecturer, will tell us of his influence on medical thinking
The Founder’ Lecture evening is of particular interest. Through the kind offices of Brian Barraclough and the Laurie Gluckman bequest, Viola Heinzelmann-Schwarz will be coming over from Sydney to tell us about Dr Walter Edwin Griesbach whose life and work she described in a wonderful thesis she wrote at the time of her graduation from Tubingen University in 1998. Griesbach, a German-Jewish physician in Hamburg was forced with his wife to leave Germany during the rise of National Socialism, and emigrate to Dunedin. There he made significant research contributions while working with Sir Charles Hercus and his Endocrine Research Team. He also came to know Norman Edson, whose wife, Suzanne, will contribute to the evening. A new development is the sponsorship kindly arranged by Dr Ron Goodey of an Annual NZMA Lectureship, (to which NZMA members will also be invited). Neurologist Neil Anderson will tell us of early NZ neurology pioneers while the three preceding speakers will introduce the ‘brain-theme’ with medical and surgical overtones respectively! 10 of our 23 speakers this year are newcomers, and half of these are from outside Auckland. Of particular note is Tatyana Buklijas from Oxford, UK, now working at the Liggins Institute who will speak about ‘Anatomical Names’. It’s a happy coincidence that in this same year, the 4th and final volume of the English acclaimed English translation by Auckland’s Will Richardson and John Carman, of De Humani Corporis Libri Septum by Andreas Vesalius, has been received by the Library.
Library Corner
With the help of funds from the Mrs Barbara Key estate and a grant from this Society, several new books have been purchased for the Ernest & Marion Davis Library. They include: - Dr Johnson’s Dictionary– (“a dabbler in physic”) by Henry Hutchings Bomb Book and Compass – Joseph Needham, - What a man, what a question! by Simon Winchester The Anatomy of a Medical School – The history of the Otago Medical School by Dorothy Page Arthur Porritt – No Ordinary Man, by Graeme Woodfield Surgeon Scientist – Adventures in Surgical Research, by Graham Hill (ex Auckland) The Baby Business – a revealing account of NZ obstetric practices since the midwife era, by Dr Lynda Exton Books have also been donated by Basil Hutchinson, Ron Trubuhovich and Newton** Wickham. Newton’s book is the History of the New Zealand Dental Service, by T.V. Anson, which contains several of his own contributions about his experience in the NZ Dental Unit in Italy in WWI.
The Landmark Meeting
We are pleased to report that after the discussions with Prof Des Gorman and Assoc Prof Warwick Bagg it has been decided to incorporate this function in the Medical Course. Previously organised by the Society for the 4th year student class, it will be relocated to Semester 2 of the 3rd year to coincide with the earlier introduction of clinical work. As before, the event which ran for about 12 years is designed to provide an historical background to the word work and was much enjoyed by the students who attended on a voluntary basis. To cope with the probable extra numbers it will be necessary to hold the short lecture sessions in the Clinical Education Unit in the Auckland City Hospital while retaining the refreshment and guided tour components in the Ernest and Marion Davis Library.
An Optional Meeting
Members of Parnell Heritage will meet at the Ernest and Marion Davis Library at 7.00pm on Tuesday 19th May. Their Guest speaker is Grace Benson, Senior Lecturer in the Health Studies Department of Manukau Institute of Technology who has made a special study of Florence Nightingale. Members of the Auckland Medical History Society are also invited to attend. Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be available after the talk. A ‘gold coin’ entry fee will be charged. Further details will be published in the April Notice of Meeting.
Parking
Members are reminded that access from Park Road to car park 8b in Park Avenue is still blocked. You can still reach the car park from the Carlton Gore end of Park Avenue. Please do remember to let us know in good time that you are coming to the meetings.