Item AAAB2559 - John Smith interview

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Provincial Health RECORDED: [location unknown], 1976-03-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Born in 1926 in Northern Ireland; early schooling and university at Queen's in Belfast; why he got into medicine; liked orthopaedics; interned at Queen's University Hospital, Royal Victoria, Belfast. Went to aircraft company after a residency, general rotating, worked at Short Brothers for two years in industrial medicine; new field worked with Dr. Smiley; what duties were his as industrial health officer; goes to work with the Slough Industrial Health services outside London, 1953-55; Dr. Eager started this program; comes to BC in 1955 and takes his degree then joins the provincial health department and goes to work in Prince Rupert for a year; changes from England and Ireland in medicine; spends three months at Tranquille, and then back to Toronto for Diploma of Public Health in 1957-58; did Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons certificate in November 1958; goes to provincial health, North Fraser Valley Health Unit; responsible for environmental health, communicable disease control; 1959-61, Director of Public Health/Occupational Health for the City of Vancouver; duties. Worked for American boards in occupational medicine; goes back to provincial health as director of Occupational Health; his definition of occupational medicine; the programs and progress of the bureau: 1962-72, Dr. John Mackenzie was the first assistant director; director of special health services in 1973; study of alcoholism in industry. TRACK 2:Alcoholism in industry, continued; why alcoholism is so prevalent; coming area of drug rehabilitation; assessments concerning asbestosis; silicosis, mercury poisoning, environmental pollution, noise pollution and radiation; unions' reaction to occupational health department. Environmental pollution. Physical fitness programs for government employees. Health hazard appraisals.