"BRAVE NEW WORLD."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1937, Page 10

"BRAVE NEW WORLD."

An Appeal for Sane Outlook on Progress. "T want first, of all to strike a note of warning," said Dr. .NT. Ft. M. Tweed, medical adviser to the Plunkct Society, addressing tho annual conference, of the society in Wellington this week (states tho "Evening I'ost"). "We are living in an ago of wonderful scientific progress, in an ago of research and discoveries, in an ago of machines and

machinery, speed, (tower, and revolution. In fact, wo mifflit bo oil tho verge of developing into a ' brave new world' such na Aldous Huxley ho* described.

"Some of this progress is definitely a boon and a blessing to mankind and Rome of it is also definitely detrimental to mankind. It can and nas put us ftomotimes off our physical and mental balance, and we are in constant danger of being put off our balance. Therefore I want you in all your deliberations to aim at keeping a sano and balanced outlook on this so-called modern progress.

"Can't Have It Both Ways."

"Tho founder of this society has frequently quoted the sng'g of 2*X)O years ago, Socratcs and Hippocrates, and we also quote their wise saying.* in our literature and pamphlet*. At the sanii l time wo talk about progressing with modern times, and keeping up to date. Now you can't lihvo it both ways without getting into trouble one way or the other, but yoti can require a balance by a careful selection of tho facts that have stood the test of years. Much of our modern progress has not yet stood tho test of years, and there is much that all research workers, scientists and experts in the world have riot yet improved upon.

"While we now recognise that dietary faults and the resulting Imperfect nutrition may bo responsible for much more ill health than was even imagined a few years ago, we must obviously not fall into the error of ascribing all the ills of mankind to unsuitable diets. During tho past years I have had interviews with and letters from many people who are obviously impressed with the modern craze for dietetic fads, and It Is curious how people provide one or more of the 12 essentials for their children and ignore the others, and then express profound disappointment at the result.

Only On* Way to ltd a Baby.

"There Is one sure fact which stands by itself, the rock on which our society is founded, and that ia that there ta only one way to feed a baby. All the other ways that have been invented, written about, talked about and put into practice are only substitutes, and it Is our aim and object to wipe out all substitutes.

"We have our own methods of deal-' ing with a substitute for breast feeding, but we know it is only a substitute, and can never take the place of the real thing. We are not satisfied that It la the best *uhstitute; we have seen good results, and we have heard of bad results, but so far there is nothing to Indicate that our method of artificial feeding is not as good as so-called up-to-date methods, and we know from our results that it is definitely better than many others. If there is a better way, then we will seek it. but we will seek it with care and deliberation, rather than be driven off our balance by personal urges and enthusiasms.

"One thousand five hundred books on infant nutrition, nutrition for children, nutrition for adults have been published during 1930. We are inundated with reports, pamphlets and propaganda literature on food, food values, feeding for old and young, and 'guidance' for old and young. There are hundreds of writers coining fortunes from .their publications on their special methods. We are becoming book-conscious. Is not there anything left of our own common of our own instinctive good sense and good judgment, or ia there | such a buzzing in our head* that we cannot hear ourselves think?"