Vignette 93: The Anti-Cancer Committee and preventative medicine

Dr Frank Sandland Hone (1871–1951) was a champion of preventative medicine and a lecturer at the University from 1921. Specialising in cancer treatment, he was president of the South Australian branch of the British Medical Association. 

Hone started as a medical officer, contributed to establishing pathology laboratories, and played a crucial role during the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918–19. He was a driving force behind the 1925 Commonwealth Royal Commission on National Health, which proposed a network of clinicians to improve health outcomes. 

As a lecturer in preventive medicine at the University, Hone was pivotal in developing student health services. In 1928, Hone gained the support of the Faculty of Medicine and University Council to establish and chair an anti-cancer committee. Supporting cancer research, it developed into the Cancer Council SA. Its objectives were to study and provide modern methods for diagnosing and treating cancer in South Australia.

Honoured with the appointment of a Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1941, Hone seamlessly combined scientific intelligence, humanity, and social purpose. The University Library holds the Anti-Cancer Committee papers in its collection.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Leading for the future. p.127