MOTHERS AND BABIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 155, 1 July 1913, Page 6

MOTHERS AND BABIES.

PROMOTING THEIR HEAITH. PLUNTLET NURSE SOCIETY. A USEFUL WORK. The annual meeting of the Society for the Health of Women and Children fPlunket Nitree Society), held last evening in the Town Hall Baildings, was presided over by the Mayor (Mr C. J. Parr). There were about twenty membere present. The report and balance-sheet, particulars of which were published jn last night's "Star,"' were adopted, and the ollice-bearers were re-elected for another term. In seconding the adoption of tbe report. Mr W. J. Napier emphasised the need for a pure milk supply, a matter which had been touched on in the report. There was much need for 6uch a supply, and he felt 6ure town and country would shortly co-operate in improving the health of the people through the little ones by ensuring a pure supply of milk. Mr Napier congratulated the society on its -work, which he considered was 6econd to none in the world.

The Mayor said 'Lady Plunket .did a great work six yeaTs ago when she started the society. He did not know of any work more noble or -worthy than that undertaken by the society. Unfortunately, there were not enough babies nowadays. The baby was not fashionable, and was voted a nuisance. The fact that the birthrate was low was all the more reason for looking after the health of the babies that did come into the community. It was only in that way that the proper excess of births over drathiseould he maintained. The mortality among infants was deplorable, and that fact spoke volumes for the need of such a society as that of the Plunket nurses. He felt sure that the good work of the society was not sufficiently known. If it were known, there would be a dozen nurses instead of two. The Mayor said the society owed a debt of gratitude to Mrs Parkes. the secretary. Many business men were not possessed of lict business ability' and acumen. (Applause.) MUNICIPAL MILK SUPPLY. Dr. Roberton also spoke of the necessity of a pure milk, supply. A great deal had been done to improve Auckland's supply, but much still remained to be accomplished before it could be called perfect. He did not know why Auckland lagged behind in this matter. " We should have a municipal dairy, similar to those in certain continental towns, where cows were milked right through the day, and children could purchase the milk" quite fresh.

FRESH AIR. Dr. Beattie, Superintendent of the Avondale Mental Hospital, said Dr. Truby King, of Dunedin, had done anany good things, but the best he did was to foster the Society for the Health of Women and Children. After speaking of the need for the society, Dr. Beattie said he was a firm believer in eugenics. He believed that in time the application of the principles of eugenics would be the cause of working a revolution in the society of the world. This application was bound to come, and the work of the society appealed to him all the more as it was the only practical expression of eugenics in New Zealand. The Society had done much up to the present, and he felt sure it would do more in the future. The doctor, in touching on some of the salient points in the constitution, emphasised the importance of "fresh air." He deplored the way in which some people sealed themselves up with every window closed, the gas burning, and flowers in the room. Plenty of fresh air, especially at night, was a fine thing, but many people, especially aanong the working classes, seemed woefully ignorant upon the subject. "Parks for the people" was another important point in the aims of the Sociey. People would not go to the parks; the parks would have to be taken to the people. Large spaces like the Domain were necessary, but in addition there, should be a number of smaller open spaces, about an acre in extent, scattered over the city. While on this subject the doctor said it was high time the Symonds Street cemetery was closed and turned into a playground for the people in the neighbourhood. He did not wish to speak disrespectfully of the dead, but he could not sec the sense of buryin" death under the ground only to breed disease above ground. "Sufficient time for recreation" was another point in the constitution. Every worlring woman should have at least two hours for recreation every day; but he was at a loss to see how that could be universally "managed.

ROBBING THE CHILD. Regarding the question of pure milk, •the doctor said he knew something about it, as he had spent a holiday making tests. He had tested samples from 123 dairies, "and since then I have never touched milk atvay from my own home," he. added. To his mind, the only satisfactory sorption of the difficulty w>6 to provide a municipal supply. Italy was the only country which treated the matter on a fairly satisfactory basis. People talked about boiling and sterilising milk. Such things were only sulstibrtes, and. besides, he asked, why should people spend thousands of hours sterilising -milk when they should have it fresh and pure? The sterilisation of milk deprived it of much of its value, and in giving the child sterilised milk, it was not getting all the possible nutriment in its food. THE CARDINAL VICE. "The only one that really matters is drunkenness," said Dr. Beattie, when touching on that part of the Society's programmes referring to inculcating ''abstention from prevalent vices." He said that 25 per cent of the inmates of mental asylums were there through drink. The other vices often followed from drunkenness. Drink caused terrible misery in the homes, and the effects of this vice were tremendously far-reaching. If drunkenness' could be eliminated, much suffering would be saved. EUGENICS MUST PREVAIL. He was a firm believer in the regenerative effects of eugenics. Suitable and prudent marriages were the true means of effecting an improvement In the human family. It was said that love was blind, and that these matter* could not be regulated, bin his experience was that love -was very wide awake. In the past people had been inbreeding j among consumption. insanity. and cancer. People did it because they did not know any better. He did not 'think any girl would now marrt a man it" she knew that her children might become the inmates of a mental asylum, or become degenerates. The spread of fire science of eugenics was the only thing ! that could put these matters to" rights. "W>.»s was wanted to-d»y wa*. strata, Lfcg*tt|g 1*" M In mm fclnHll

children. The time was coming when the Empire would need all its virilrtyThe present was an age of ruthless commercialism on the one hand, and an earnest attempt to achieve the betterment of man on the other. We must never forget that we are our brothers keeper still.

CARE OF THE BRAIN. Speaking of his own department, the Doctor pointed out thai the brain grew most during the first seven years of life, and it was during that period that the child required such careful treatment and nourishment. During the ages of 14 and 25 the brain developed. Many causes of trouble could be done away with by building up women and children in strength. The saying about every woman nursing her own child was taken too literally. Some women could not. and some—such as consumptives—should not. A high authority had pointed out that crime and insanity had increased among women to a Temarkable degree during the last ten years. By attending tc their physical condition—pure food and sufficient recreation—much of .this would be reduced. There were more, female lunatics than male lunatics in the Old Country. This was not so in New Zealand, because the women here were living under better hygienic conditions. It behoved us to see that those conditions were not impaired by the building of 6lums and in other wars.

HEREDITY. Speaking of kleptomania, the Doctor said it was most frequent among women. They were generally taken before the court and punished. That was wrong. Tbe victims were almost invariably women suffering from some, mental or physical defect. Occasionally there was mention of a child being brought before the court because it was "incorrigible." Frequently it waa punished. Why? he asked. Because the father had sinned. It was impossible to roaice a child bad in one generation. II -took three or four. In the same way it took three or four generations to make it good. The old Biblical saying was absolutely true about the sins of the father being visited upon the children. It was only through suitable marriages that the race could be regenerated. The Doctor, in conclusion, said there was plenty of work for the society to do along the lines he had suggested, and if it advanced in the right direction, as he felt it would, it would accomplish a work that would be felt not only throughout the Dominion, but in the Empire as well.

Hearty votes of thanks were accorded the speakers and the outgoing officers.