CONTROVERSIAL DOCTOR IN DARWIN

One of the most controversial medicos of modern times recently spent several weeks in Darwin and did not raise the slightest interest . He is Dr “Archie” Kalokerinos whose views were backed by two- time Nobel Prize winner , for chemistry and peace ,Professor Linus Pauling . Praised by some in the medical profession and reviled by others, a Melbourne Greek newspaper named Dr Kalokerinos the most influential Greek Australian of the 20th century

The doctor was not in Darwin in the flesh –there was a photo of him in the splendid National Museum of Australia touring exhibition on the subject of Greek cafes covered in an earlier Little Darwin post. The caption merely said he had been born in 1927 and his parents had run the Paragon Café in Glenn Innes , NSW.

While medical superintendent at Collarenebri, north western NSW, he became concerned about the high mortality rate among Aboriginal infants who had scurvy like symptoms. He advocated the use of high doses of vitamin C to counter the deaths , about which he wrote extensively and lectured . Forthright and open in his views like eye expert , Fred Hollows, who was appalled at the extent of eye diseases among NT Aborigines , he undoubtedly upset some of the medical establishment, some of whom scoffed at his vitamin C belief.

However , Nobel laureate Professor Pauling , who believed many diseases were caused by over production of free radicals and low vitamin C body content , heartily endorsed Dr Kalokerinos. Profesor Pauling maintained that vitamin C was beneficial in fighting flu, cancer ,cardiovascular disease , infections and degenerative problems in the aging process. As a result , he attracted criticism from members of the medical profession and his ideas were dismissed as quakery . Professor Pauling wrote the foreword to the doctor’s widely read 1981 book , Every Second Child, in which he spoke of the reluctance of many doctors to accept new ideas.

The book’s title was based on the fact that at Collarenebri he had been able to reduce the Aboriginal infant death rate from virtually every second child who presented with some risk factor to zero through intravenous vitamin C injections.

Many moons ago, this writer had contact with Dr Kalokerinos when he was still in Collarenebri in connection with his advocacy of vitamin C to reduce Aboriginal infant deaths and another of his interests, opals, about which he wrote a book in 1973, Australia’s Precious Opal .

As the years went by , he expressed strong and controversial views about the likely cause of some Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ( Cot Deaths) being sub clinical scurvy and Shaken Baby Syndrome cases in which parents were charged with murder when in fact their baby had died as a result of mandated vaccination.

In 2000, a 500 page book was published -Medical Pioneer of the 20th Century - covering his time opal mining, Aboriginal health, vaccinations, SIDS and included 30 pages regarded as the bible on the subject of Shaken Death Syndrome.

Both he and Professor Pauling shared the controversial proposition that , at times, mass immunisation of children could be a health hazard. Pauling caused an uproar when he said mass immunisation of African children in the early days had been a disaster, leading to the death of many . Dr Kalokerinos has lectured widely in the UK and America

NEEDLE NOTE : The late former Queensland physician, Lady Cilento , wrote a book entitled You Can’t Live Without Vitamin C , and it is said she gave Premier Joh Bjelke –Petersen large doses , the obvious noticeable result being that he could express himself more clearly instead of rambling on to his media chooks.

MUNGO REPORT # 1

Looking like an old style Russian anarchist, bushy- bearded journalist, commentator and author , Mungo MacCallum, hurled entertaining verbal bombs at the media during his Darwin talk about the lousy reporting of politics in Australia . He also proffered wise advice which Noel Coward would have given the many Mrs Worthingtons of Darwin who might like to see their daughters’ bylines on the page of a newspaper.

In answer to a question from a female who stated many people wanting to enter university journalism courses were found to be illiterate, Mungo said he was no great fan of such courses.

They just taught the technical aspects which could be picked up in spare time . To become a journalist, you needed two things : an insatiable, always sceptical sense of curiosity about what is going on around you , and be able to perform under pressure. ( As an aside, which drew laughs, he said it also helped to learn not to become an alcoholic .)

If a person wanted to take a uni course it should be something useful like politics, law, arts , science , not journalism . Perhaps a sign of the political times , there was a strong representation of women in the audience, including NT Legislative Assembly Speaker , Jane Aagaard .

Assorted spin doctors in the gathering may have winced when Mungo spoke of the deleterious influence of these people PR flacks and immature youngsters running ministerial offices in Canberra. ( Second part with coverage of other subjects raised will be posted soon ).

WAITING FOR BUSO #6

( Chronometer does not fugit in Samuel Beckett’s Darwin .)

Time used to stand still for bus travellers in Coconut Grove. It was exactly 6.30 for yonks. This was alright if you were aware of the phenomenon , but alarming if you were one of those busy, busy southerners up here on a trip wanting to make the most of every minute. Or locals not aware of the time warp .


The latter was the case when five Aboriginals travelling on a bus one afternoon wanted to know the time and looked at the large dial at the Clock Tower Shopping Centre . Clock says 6.30 . Eh!!! “ Scuse me, mate , what time is it ?” Displaying my watch , I showed them that it was 4pm . But the clock on the tower says 6.30 ? I pointed out it was not working and had been in this state for light years. One of the group , with a degree in horology , explained the situation , “It’s buggered.”

BUILD UP TO THE BOOT ?

As the Dry season wanes and the build up begins, people tend to be apprehensive about the future. One such person who will be doubly concerned this year is a high flying mugwump whose contract will be up for review. Round about the commencement of the sticky weather he will get an indication about whether or not he will be kept on or told to catch a slow boat to China.

ALEXANDER THE INGRATE

Here is some advice for Kevin Rudd . Forget your worship of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Christian invocation to turn the other cheek . For Alexander Downer to turn upon you after you okayed a job for him in Cyprus , and now say he did not think much of you all along must be galling in the extreme .

So, with your vast knowledge of Chinese culture , including the ancient art of inserting bamboo slivers under finger nails, suggest you do the following. One dark night , when Alexander is lining up in Adelaide for a ghastly pie floater , you emerge , dressed like Inspector Clouseau’s crazed Asian manservant , a fully paid up member of the AWU’s brutal Tong Hit Brigade, and go berserk like a delinquent Karate Kid . Work him over properly and tripe will be on the menu for a month .

The new dragon lady in charge of the Forbidding City would also be advised to clear out all the other Coalition hasbeens given jobs by the former PM if , as it seems, they think it is their God given right to be given a sinecure and make disparaging remarks about their benefactor .

PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY SOLVES AUSTRALIAN OYSTER MYSTERY

By a stroke of good luck , Little Darwin discovered the stunning National Museum of Australia travelling photographic exhibition revealing the influence of Greek cafes on Australian culture on its last day in Darwin. What a delight . It included the "golden age " of Greek cafes from 1930 to the 1960s when they introduced American style milk bars and associated food to the nation along with soda, sundaes and jukeboxes. Many of the cafes adopted American names- New York , California, Monterey, Grand Junction , Hollywood, Astoria .


Of particular interest were the photographs of Greek oyster saloons in the early l900s which sold the succulent seafood in bottles and shell . In various digs for old bottles and remnants from yesteryear , Cyclops often turned up oyster shells and wondered why people were so fond of crustaceans , putting it down to the popular belief that oysters add oomph to your libido, conjuring up a picture of lusty forebears.

On one dig at a century old post office site in South Australia numerous oyster shells and beer bottles were unearthed . Fittingly , in another extensive excavation on an adjoining old bank site , where chastity and self control should have reigned as it had been a Catholic manse in more recent times, there were no oyster shells , but plenty of wine bottles , more than could possibly have been involved in blessing wine and wafer in a tiny country town .


A familiar name jumped from the photograph of the Capitol Refreshment Rooms ,Canberra , 1929 : NOTARAS , Jack , Emanuel and Theo . The caption said Theo had been born on the Greek island of Kythera in 1908 and brought out to Australia by his uncle. Wonder if Dr Len Notaras of the special trauma unit at Royal Darwin Hospital is a descendent ? If so, he might consider opening an oyster bar , using Paspaley Pearls meat as part of the healing therapy .

Another Greek café picture , the Niagra , Gundagai, 1938 , advertised as Australia’s Wonder Café , with an art deco interior, still operating today , had been initially started by Strati Notaras in 1902. Interestingly, the café was frequented by film stars and politicians. In 1942 , Prime Minister, John Curtin, held a wartime midnight cabinet meeting in the café at which steak and eggs were served. Is it possible that the bombing of Darwin was discussed during the meal ?

( Subsequent research revealed that in the 1916 NSW Greek census there were 12 people from Kythera with the Notaras surname , all involved in cafes , ranging from an oyster saloon in Redfern , Sydney, to a miners’ eatery at Broken Hill and several fish shops .)

Darwin businesses included in the pictorial coverage are Zero In The Tropics, with which author Xavier Herbert had close contact and the Star Milk Bar with the Canaris girls. Mentioned also were the Rendezvous and the Purple People Eatery .

Rules for staff in the Belle Vue Café ,Warwick ,Queensland, contained these instructions: No Gum Chewing , Be Civil , No Loud Talking, No Loafing, Don’t Fix Hair or Face in Shop.

To be accepted by the business community and Australian society in general , many Greek proprietors joined masonic lodges , thus there is a picture of David Andronico in Freemasons' regalia of the 1930s in Queensland.

TURNBULL WAITING IN ELM STREET

The reason for Malcolm Turnbull’s surprise announcement that he will stand again at the next election , despite having firmly said he would quit the arena , has never been clearly explained . In the context of the ALP’s surgical and brutal removal of PM Kevin Rudd , the reason for Turnbull’s backflip is crystal clear. A faction within the Coalition , small l liberals, as distinct from the ruling Spanish Inquisition mob who are eagerly burning the atmosphere, tax reformers and refugees , convinced Malcolm that he will rise from the dead and head the party when Tony Abbott leads the Tories and clodhoppers to a well deserved defeat .

It was hypocritical in extremus , but typical, for the great big , old , now dud, Mad Monk to talk of bloody assassination squads, Uncle Joe Stalin midnight door knockers , the Sussex Street Marauders- it all sounded like the promo for the latest vampire and werewolf movie.

RUDD’S FUTURE: The obvious post for Rudd is that of Special Minister for China Trade and Cultural Relations. He is admirably qualified for such an important role.