14 prestdext's address. 



papers in the different Sectiuns, with a view to restricting its activities in the 

 following manner — to jjroviding opportunity, (1) for personal intercourse be- 

 tween the Members; (?.) for Presidential Addresses as at present; (3) for dis- 

 cussing prearranged scientific problems of Sectional or general interest; (4) for 

 discussing matters relating to the organisation of scientific effort in Australia; 

 and for doing what it can to accomplish it . In other words, that it should leave 

 to the Australian Scientific Societies the matter of reading and publishing scientific 

 papers; and assume the functions ol an Australasian Parliament of Science, in the 

 interest of promoting co-operation, and a better organisation of scientific effort. 

 As an example of one of many Australian problems — a •world-problem in 

 process of being opened* up from the Australian standpoint, under Australian 

 conditions — wliich is being carried out in the right way, namely by organised team- 

 work, and, not in Sydney, but at a remote country centre, where the problem 

 takes its origin. I call your attention to a scientific investigation which is being 

 carried out at Broken Hill, under the direction of one of our Alembers, Professor 

 Chapman. A Technical Commission of Inquiry has been appointed recently, 

 under the State Board of Trade, to investigate the prevalence of disease among-st 

 mine-woikers at Broken Hill. The investigations will occupy six months, and 

 £15,000 has been allotted for the work. Professor Chapman, one of our ]\Iem- 

 bers, has been appointed Chairman of the Commission, and was asked by the 

 Premier to associate with himself in the Commission such gentlemen as would be 

 competent to take charge of different phases of the investigation. The Com- 

 mission is making medical examinations of as many of the mine workers at 

 Broken Hill as are available, with the object of ascertaining the degree of preval- 

 ence of miner's phthisis, lead-poisoning, and anchylostomiasis. It is hoped to 

 study 4500 men who will form about 60 % of those employed along the lode. 

 Two large X-ray machines have been installed and radiograms are made of each 

 man's chest by Dr. W. A. Edwards. Six medical practitiono.'S, working under 

 the direction of Dr. S. A. Smith, are carrying out a thorough medical examina- ' 

 tion of each man. When needed special bacteriological and chemical and cytol- 

 ogical tests are performed. Through the courtesy of the Commonwealth Clov- 

 ernment. the services of Dr W. A. Sawyer of the International Healtii ISoard 

 have been made available to the Commission for the investigation of the oc- 

 currence of hookworm. As a lesult, a complete working-unit, comprising four 

 microscopists and two assistants under the control of Dr. Rosenthal, has been 

 transferred to Broken Hill from Queensland. The staff concerned in this medical 

 in\estigatiou comprises seven medical practitioners, four mici'oscopists, five as- 

 sistants, and four statistical clerks, together with four members of the Commission. 

 The Conunission will endeavour to establish a relation between the sign and symji- 

 toms of disease noted in the mine worker, the appearance of the radiographic 

 picture of the lungs and the pathological changes which can be observed in the 

 lungs of dead miners. As the Commission has been asked to report on the con- 

 ditions antecedent to the occurrence of ill-health among mine-workers, investiga- 

 tions are being made into the chemical and physical charactei-s of the dust pro- 

 duced in the various operations of mining. Some analyses are being performed 

 upon the ash of the lungs of mine-workers in the hope of adding to the store 

 of our knowledge about the dust present in the lung-s. Samples of the dust float- 

 ing in the air of the mines are also being subjected to chemical and physical 

 examination. This part of the work of the Ccmunissiou has been under the 

 control of Dr. II. S. H. Wardlaw, who is assisted bv four chemists. We look 



