Summary Report of the Symposium Address

Abstract

After expressing his pleasure at being with the Symposium participants and guests, Mr Wolff commenced his lecture by exhibiting himself (figure 1) looking perplexed about why in the first instance he had agreed to give a lecture at all with the title quoted. He then went on to deplore the way engineering is taking the human touch out of medicine. His figure 2 (of a scantily dressed female with adoring male in classical garb) illustrated how, in his view, a civilised outpatient department should be conducted, providing that immediacy of touch between patient and operator which gives such obvious pleasure to both (figure 3). This he compared with figure 4, in which an operator, totally impersonal, looks at a patient disembodiedly transformed into readings on a monitoring machine.

Editorial Note. On the evening of Monday, 19th June, the Western Regional Hospital Board in association with the University of Strathclyde, gave a Reception for participants and invited guests. The Chairman of the Western Regional Hospital Board, Mr Simpson Stevenson, and Mrs Stevenson, received the guests. Strathclyde was represented by the Deputy Principal of the University, Professor A. S. T. Thomson and Mrs Thomson. Mr Wolff delivered his Symposium Address following the Reception to an audience of some 400 people. The Address, a witty and entertaining discourse, was most enthusiastically received.