In 1889 he wrote a booklet entitled “Chronic indigestion, biliousness, and management of children”.

Whilst at Mount Egerton, Dr Sisca made a special study of the “miners’ disease”. Having arrived at the conclusion that the night shift is the chief factor in the undermining of the miners’ health, he strongly advocated the abolition, wherever possible, of that shift. He wrote a pamphlet entitled “Miners’ Disease: what it is, its causes, and treatment” which was published in 1889/90. It was published to bring the problem of silicosis to legislators and the public. He also conceived the idea of advocating the establishment of the “Worn-out Miners’ Sustentation Fund”. He agitated for it in the press and by lecturing at several mining centres. He received the gratitude of the community because of his philanthropic efforts on behalf of the miners.

Dr Sisca left Mount Egerton at the end of April, 1889, after which he settled at Hawksburn.

The Australiasian Medical Directories for 1892 and 1896 reported that Dr Sisca practised at Williams Rd Hawksburn and at Collins Street East, Melbourne. The 1903 post office directory shows that his Collins Street address was, in fact, a first floor consulting room of the “Edwards Building”, a later name for the Pleasance Building (i.e. the Martin & Pleasance building).

In 1892 he published  a book with the title “Management of children in health and disease.” It contained advice to mothers, with parts on the management of pregnancy, of healthy children, of sick children. It was one of only 13 paediatric books written by Australian doctors prior to 1901.

By 1904 Dr Sisca had moved to NSW. The Fifth Annual Report of the Sydney Homœopathic Hospital for 1906 reported that Dr Sisca had accepted appointment as a member of their honorary medical staff. Dr Sisca died in Burwood in 1938, age 79.

© Barbara Armstrong