PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17742, 19 April 1923, Page 3

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

OXFORD BRANCH. The first annual meeting of the Oxford branch of the Plunket Society was held in the Coronation Hall on Tuesday afternoon. There was a large attendance of members, including representatives from the Bangiora and Darfield branches. Mr R. F. Henderson, chairman of the County Council, presided, and commended the Society for the useful work it was doing. He said it was not only a good thing that there should bo a natural increase of the population, but that that population should be strong and healthy. Strong and healthy children were a good beginning for strong and healthy manhood, and the work of instructing the mothers in the methods of bringing up their children was worthy of all praise. The secretary read the balancesheet, which was adopted. The receipts, amounting to £2O 13s 2d, were raised from: Subscriptions £l3 ss, picture entertainment £4 14s Bd, sale of books 7s Id, donations £2 6s sd. The expenditure, which left credit balanco of 5s Bd, was made up of: Printing 14s, hire of hall £l, rent £1 ss, nurses' salary for half-year £l2 10s, hire of tent £2, scales and basket £1 17a 3d, Coronation Hall 10s, stamps and telephone lis 3d. The nurse's annual report stated that the branch had been inaugurated in February, 0 1922. A nurse attached to the Christchurch centre had paid monthly visits to the branch until September, when it amalgamated with the North Canterbury centre, and had since received weekly visits from the nurse attached to that centre. A steady progress had been made by the local branch, mothers taking a keen interest in its work. The general public also realised and appreciated the benefits accruing -from the Plunket treatment. Many eases of marked improvement in the health of delicate babies had been recorded. Dr. Truby King and Nurse Patterson had visited the district during tl|3 year, had addressed the local schools, and given a public address in the Town Hall. The rest-tent at the Oxford Show, with a nurse in attendance, had proved a great convenience, and was much appreciated by mothers. The attendance at the room during the year had been: Adults 224, babies and children 279. The nurse's report for the half-year ending March 31st gave the number of new cases as 16. Yisits to the Plunket room were: Adults 186, babies 126, children 56; total/368. The number of cases for treatment were 28: Breast-fed babies 9, supplemented feeding 3, expectant mothers 2, directions for making humanised milk 12. The work had been carried on with great encouragement and enthusiasm. Mothers had come with babies a few weeks old, and had continued to come. It was satisfactory to know that only one baby was fed on a patent food. When first brought to the room he was white and starved looking, but improved as soon as the food -was changed to humanised milk. (This baby was on view, and his appearance was a good recommendation of the Plunket treatment.) Another was in a very serious condition. At three months he weighed less than"his birth weight. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follow: —President, Mrs E. G. Wolff: vice-presidents. Mrs W. J. Skurr and Mrs R. F. Henderson; secretary and treasurer, Mrs W. H. Evans; committee, Mesdames E. Skurr, A. Henderson, G. A. Rvde, F. Dcbenham, E. i Woodneld, L. B." Burnett, J. McGrath, t H. Denne, A. A. Fantham, Southgate, H. F. Luers, W. H. Knowles, J. Budge, B. Wotherspoon, C. Macintosh, E. C. Thornton, and Sister Whyte. Thanks were passed to the Salvation Army for the free use of their hall for a Plunket room, to the officers a-fl committee. Special reference was made to the executive officers, the president and secretary fbr their untiring efforts. 'The president, Mrs , Woodneld, had been unsparing in the discharge of the duties of the office, and had put herself at the disposal of the branch, and much of the prosperity.

of tlie branch was due to her en-i , thusiasm. . .-■ Mrs 11. A. Knight, president of the Darfield branch, in a few remarks, felicitated the local branch on its progress. She said she, had been impressed with what she had heard that afternoon, and was glad that the branch had the co-operation of gentlemen in the district. She described the earlyexperiences of the Society in North Canterbury, and showed the 'progress it had made, and the good it had dona since its inception. She hoped the I Society would continue' to exercise its I good influences, and that the meetings throughout the year would' be, well attended, sociable, and enthusiastic. She thanked the meeting for the opportunity to say a few words. y