INFANT WELFARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 128, 1 June 1934, Page 11

INFANT WELFARE.

PLUNKET SOCIETY'S YEAR. IMPORTANCE OF DIETETICS. The annual meeting of the Auckland branch of the Plunket Society was held at the society's rooms, Symonds Street, yesterday afternoon. Details of the annual report appeared in the "Star" on Wednesday. At the request of the retiring president, Lady Sinclair Lockhart, the chair was occupied by Mr. J. H. Frater, the chairman of the Advisory Board.

Mr. Frater referred to the fund that had been established last year for the benefit of mothers suffering from malnutrition. The eum ofi £100 had been raised as the result of an appeal, and mast of it had now been expended under the supervision of the chief Plunket nurse. The nurses who visited the homes were the best qualified to know who was most in need of this help. It would be necessary to increase the fund in the near future. As an example of the magnitude of the work carried out by the nurses, Mr. Frater said that in Auckland they had one nurse to every 18,000 of the "population, while in Wellington there was one to every 12,000. The number of babies coming under the care of the society had risen to 75 per cent, as compared with 25 per cent a few years ago. In seconding the president's motion that the report and balance-sheet be adopted, Dr. Tracy Inglis referred appreciatively to the work of the late Dr. W. H. Parkes. "The work of the honorary medical staff which we now have was started by the late Dr. Parkes," he said. "We all appreciate the help that he gave us." Proposed Course of Lectures. Referring to an important aspect of the work, Dr. Inglis said that the dietetics of infants was a medical subject. There wae a plan for the coming year, that a course of lectures should be given at the Karitane Home by the society's medical staff. The lectures should be on standardised lines. The Karitano Home is a means of training nurses to carry the Plunket sy'stem throughout New Zealand, and the training should be the same at a]l the centres." He thought that the proposed lectures would be a great help in that direction.

Mrs. Parkes said that the uniformity of the system was the greatest feature of the work. In England there were over 100 welfare organisations all advocating different methods of infant wel"Quality, Not Quantity." "Tho real work of the society is in the maintenance of health and prevention of disease," eaid Dr. Martin Tweed, of Wellington, medical adviser to the council. "There have been critics of tho Plunket nurses in the past who suggested that there was a lack of cooperation between them and the doctors and that they underfed the babiee. Both suggestions are ridiculous. A point to remember in regard to babies ie that size- is not everything. As Sir Truby King said, 'Quality, not quantity,' was what was to be aimed at. The ideals of the Plunket Society exist for the maintenance of perfect health, and any deviation from the normal will always be referred to doctors."

The election of officers resulted: President, Mrs. J. C. Allan; vice-president*, Lady Sinclair Lockhart, Meedames R. Cokman, IT. R. Kirker, J. H. Fratcr, H. P. Richmond, Alfred Nathan, David Nathan, R. B. Cruickßhank, and Mother Hannah; honorary secretary, Mias M. J. Colegrove; committee, all present members, save Mrs. Hugh McDonald, and the following new members, Mesdames Claude White, R. G. Milligan, Allan Donald, Alan Dignan and T. Clifton Webb; honorarv treasurers, Messrs. A. R. and J. D. Elder; advisory board, Meesrs. J. H. Frater (chairman), E. E. Nalder, R. A. Laidlaw, P. 11. Upton, G. H. Wilson, T. H. Maeky, A. M. Gould, G. M. Fowlds, D. Nathan, J. F. Ewen, J. B. Johnston, D. Poison, Dr. E. B. IT. Milsom; honorary auditor, Mr. N. A. Dnthie; honorary solicitor, Mr. H. P. Richmond; honorary secretary, Karitano Hospital, Mrs. H. P. Richmond; Karitane house committee, Meedames J. H. Frater, H. R. Kirker and H. P. Richmond.