THE TEACHING OF MIDWIFERY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19888, 27 March 1930, Page 2

THE TEACHING OF MIDWIFERY.

OBSTETRIC ENDOWMENT appeal. (iPECIAIXY WRITTEN FOR THE MtESS.) ri3v Doris C. Gordon, M.8., Ch.B., L y D.P.H. (N.Z.), F.R.C.S.E.] What is this Obstetrical Endowment Appeal that is driving thousands of women all over New Zealand to work hard to work simultaneously, and to work with purposeful determination? What is the secret that has unified women of all ckuses, creeds, and political colours, so that at this moment they are working in every city, town, and hamlet with a zeal that equals their best war-time energies? The driving force is a call to make straighter the pathway of motherhood, to build in tlloir generation such a path of medical efficiency and service in all that pertains to tho weal of women that their daughters and their granddaughters shall tread a safer, healthier road to the destiny of motherhood than has hitherto been the lot of New Zealand women.

Making Up for Past Deficiencies. The women of New Zealand are now awake to the fact that, while they have been working nobly for infant welfare, and by their financial assistance have brought about the singularly low infantile death rate which makes New Zaaland the envy of the civilised world, no one has thought to enquire how the Midwifery Department of the Medical School stood for funds. They now find that for lack of finance there has been no capital improvement in this vital teaching department for twenty years, and, knowing that the foundation of the midwifery service is the doctor's training, they are determined that the Obstetrical Department shall no longer be the Cinderella in tho New Zealand Medical School. Our Medical School is one of the best in the Empire, and its graduates are held in high repute in England; but for the last five years its Midwifery Department has fallen below the standard of efficiency, tho defect being particularly in the facilities for practical training. No professor can conjure miraculous results out of antiquated equipment and environment; but nevertheless the teachers concerned have for many years rendered magnificent service for scant pay and recognition, and the public of the Dominion owe these doctors a great debt of gratitude. This time last year tho women did not realise that lack of funds was crippling the teaching of midwifery in New Zealand, and, metaphorically, they rested at their case. This year they do know; and there will be no rest for them until the deficiency is remedied.

Why Not Defer? "Times are hard and prospects poor," says the malo critic. The women's answer is: "We have deferred too long. We should have done it five years ago. Now we simply must push the appeal through: for a new teacher of midwifery has to be secured this year, and there is no money to make a suitable appointment." They rightly argue that the standard of the midwifery service in this Dominion for the next twenty yearn will hinge' on the type of professor who comes to. New Zealand at the end of this yeai'to take charge of this work. The women know that no one would tolerate a railway servico that had not had capital improvements for the last twenty years, neither would any intelligent person approve of hiring second-grade engineers to build our highways for us. Then should anyone be content with a second-best head for the midwifery service of this Dominion? New Zealand cannot attract the best teachers to its services, neither can it retain its teachers of ability and personality, unless it is prepared to pay the world's standard salaries; and in the instance of the Midwifery Professor, the women of New Zealand are simply asking that as good teaching be available in this country as now holds in Victoria, New South Wales, and other progressive parts of the Empire.

New Ideas. "Why do you want all these newfangled ideas?" says the old conservative. "We did not have them in the good old days, yet the women got along alright." The answer is: Why does the world demand to ride in motor-cars and aeroplanes instead of family phaetons? Why do we have telephones, radio services, vacuum cleaners, and electric lifts? Simply because the world has progressed to ease and comfort. Is it fair, is it chivalrous, that only women in their travail should be asked to forego modern securities, and the latest comfort? Some wiseacre has suggested that if modern woman.went "back to Nature" and wore sandals and sackcloth, scorned water waves, and attractive femininity, and lived a placid, colourless life, akin to the quiet docility of the domestic cow, they would get along better when it came to their maternity ordeals. Ignoring the question of whether such "natural females" would ever attract the modern male, I pass on "to the assertion that it is impossible to bid one section of the community "stand still" while all about it rolls onward. It is impossible to speed up life generally withoid; increasing the pace for women, and ever increasing the susceptibilities of their nervous systems, so that they react more intensely to the strains of maternity. What served for the heroic women of the good old days will not serve now, and it is neither practical nor humane to force old ways on modern days.

Furthermore, it is a question whether there ever were good old days, as regards women's welfare. News travelled slowly long ago, and statistics were not eagerly sought. Th<3re is good evidence to show that many women lost their lives through childbirth in the pioneering days in New Zealand; but we did not hear so much about it. Moreover, there are other aspects of the question, apart from sheer loss of life. One authority estimates that ten per cent, of the female patients in our asylums are there as immediate or late results of maternal duty. Further every family doctor knows that there are women in our midst to-day, who are carrying with them to the grave, trying disabilities that originated in confinements not conducted under expert medical and nursing supervision. The Cost of the Intolerable. We have already tolerated these things too long. As a simple economic proposition it has been extravagance and on humanitarian principles it has been wrong. Week in, week out, every hospital board in this Dominion has had numbers of beds occupied by women, lying there for the cure of disorders consequent upon childbirth The cost to the country of maintaining these beds has been tremendous while the drain on the family exchequer of employing- help while "the mother is ill" has been crippling to many homes Economically it is high time we ceased talking of good old days and oldfashioned ways, and turned our attention in right earnest to the preventive aspects of these disorders.

Then there is yet another factor that cannot be assessed in cold terms of money. A woman's whole happiness and usefulness are inseparably bound up in her general good health. Everyone knows that the smooth running of the home depends on the mother's happiness, patience, and endurance. Men's careers are frequently determined and children's characters are shaped by the atmosphere of the home. Can a woman be placid, cheerful, patient, and brave, amid all the vicissitudes of family life, if she has been spared in childbirth only to carry w ith her a persistent discomfort that eats like a canker into her courage and cheer? The Year Book Figures. The Year Book tells us that in this Dominion, every day, 75 infants are born; two of these are stillborn; and every two and a half days one of the mothers dies. This should stir every man and woman in the community. I offer no excuse for including the men as being interested in this appeal; for every decqnt man wants his wife, his daughter, or his daughter-in-law to go through the ordeal of motherhood as safely and as easily as possible, and to have the reward of a living child for all her sacrifice. In the dawn of history we read of a romance that starteu at a wellside and ended in tragedy when the woman "travailed anu she had hard labour and it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called hi 3 name Benoni," which meant "son of my sorrow." History tells us that the father called tho child Benjamin, and through all his days could not bear to allow this son of affliction out of his sight. Human nature has not changed since ■ the days of Jacob, and this appeal for the betterment of maternal conditions calls to men for support as much as it is calling women to work. Every cenj tury has brought more knowledge, and I with this gift has brought the problems of increasing complexity in life. At the present we have tremendous possibilities of preventing maternal deaths, stillbirths, and consequent disorders, and it is simply a matter of adjusting tho knowledge of the period to the conditions of this Dominion. OBSTETRICAL SOCIETY. Cpbess association tzleosajc.) WELLINGTON, March 26. Dr. Doris Gordon, secretary of the Obstetrical Society, had an interview with La<J.y Bledisloe vesterday. Her Excellency showed the keenest interest in and sympathy with the movement, which she promised to assist in every possible way, and expressed her pleasure at hearing of the widespread support which the appeal was receiving throughout the country.

LUNCHEON PARTY. At her home at Clifton, Sumner, yesterday afternoon, Mrs W. .T. Sim gave a pleasant little luncheon party in honour of Miss Barbara Webb, whose marriage to Mr M. Raymond, of Timaru, takes place on Monday. After lunch, the guests enjoyed the sunshine in the pretty garden, with its gay flowers and fine view, and a competition, held out-of-doors, was won by Mrs Eric Rickard. After tea was dispensed, tho guests returned to Christchurch. Those present were Miss Barbara Webb, Mrs F. G. Bristed, Mrs Eric Rickard, Mrs Neville le Oren, Mr« Robert Livingstone, Mrs Douglas Bailey, and Mrs Maurice Warren. PARTY AT CLIFTON. At tho residence of her mother, Mrs Andrew Scott, on the sunny slopes of Clifton Hill, Sumner, yesterday afternoon, Mrs Geoffrey Gerard gave a delightful party at which the guest of honour was Miss Marie Kitto, who in leaving shortly for England, where hei marriage will take place. After tea had been dispensed, a novel competition caused much amusement amongst the guests und was even tually won by Miss Molly Black. Those present were Mrs Andrew Scott, Mrs R. L. M. Kitto, Misses Marie, Pauline, and Maudie Kitto, Miss Joan Maling, Miss Nancy McKellar, Miss Margaret Todhunter, Mrs Lynn Lawrence, Mrs Lionel Cooke, Miss Gendie Maling, Miss Cicely Pratt. Miss Molly Black, Miss Barbara Bond, and Miss Diana Allen.

BRIDGE PARTY. Mr and Kirs R. E. McDougall'a three daughters, Mrs Jack Ferrier, Mrs F. G. Bristed, and Miss Nancy McDougall, were hostesses last night at a delightful bridge party, given in honour of their cousin, Miss Barbara Webb, who is to be married next week. The pleasant gathering was held at Mr McDougall's home in Pap&nui road, where the drawing-room «'/ gay with zinnias and dahlias »*;£' supper table with vari-coloar- Vood Orf , , , , Mrs BFj • a graceful frock of blush-pf MlNDfrgette; Mrs Bristed wore silv(-?2#y lace, and Miss Nancy smart frock was of pink mr--: •' f-'i'e guests were Miss Barbara Webb, Mrs R. H. Webb, Mrs Maurice Warren, Mrs Stanley Hill, Mrs Eric Rickard, Mrs Neville le Cren, Mrs Douglas Bailey, Mrs Maurice Johnson. Mrs Ross Lascelles, Misses Dora Warren, Nancy Hartley, Noeline Knight, Marjorie Tait, and Betty Webb. TENNIS PARTY. At the Avonside Club's courts, yesterday, the members of the Avonside B team entertained a team of players from the Lyttelton Club at an all-day progressive tennis party, which proved a great puccess. All the matches were doubles, and many were very keenly contested, the winners at the end of the day's play Deing Miss Williams, of Lyttelton, and Mrs Prince, of Avonlside. Luncheon and tea were served in the pavilion. The players were Mra Comer, Miss White-Parsons, Miss Neville, Miss Agar, Mrs Gardiner, Mrs Sutton, Mrs Rhind, and Miss Williams, all of Lyttelton, and Mrs Fuller, Mrs Bell, Mrs Gilbert, Mrs Hastings, Mrs Hodgkinson, Mrs Smythe, Mrs Prince, Miss Edmondstone, Miss Morand, Miss Gordon, Miss Boddington, and Mrs Rogers, of Avonside.

PARTY AT HORNBY. A pleasant evening was spent in the Hornby Parish Hall, when Mr and Mrs A. Finnie entertained a number ot friends to celebrate the _ coming-of-age of their eldest son, Leslie. The hall was decorated with black and red streamers and coloured and the evening passed quickly in music, games, and dancing. Vocal items were contributed by Misses L. Adorian, M. and * N. Roche, D. Meale, Messrs A. Hays, P. Dyer, J. Stuart, F. Henderson, recitations by E. Card, and dance music was supplied by Mr J. Bainbridge, extras being played by Mr F. Weeber, N. Vasey, ana J. Burgess. Supper was served, a beautifully icea birthday cake occupying the place of honour on the table. Appropriate toasts were proposed, and responded to bjp Messrs F. Henderson, A. Hays, P.

Dver, F. Weeber, and J. Stuart. Mr Finnie presented. his son with a gold key as a symbol of his newly-acquired independence, and Mr L. Finnie was thp recipient of many useful birthday gifts. The guests included Mr and Mrs A. Finnie, Mr and Mrs F. Henderson, Mr and Mrs R. Killer (Spreydon), Mr ana Mrs F. Weeber (Belfast), Mr and Mrs P Dyer, Mr and Mrs L. Cooke, Mi and Mrs J. Burgess, Mrs Meale, Misses B. Finnie, E. Finnie, Isobel Finnie,

Oulcie Finnie, D. Kempthorne. M. Kempthorne, M. Roche, N. Roche (cimstciiurch), D. Me&le, Curr2n ' ux R r riu . r § eß ?' M - Fr J (Chnstchurch), L. Aaorian and M. Connelly 'Uhnstchurch), 1> Meale, Messrs L. Fume. D. Finnie, Q. Keller (Christchurch), G. Finnie, A. Hays, J. Stuart, J. Bainbridge, E. Palmer, H. Mcliwravthi G. Taylor, C. Meale, N, Vasey, E. Card, W. Weir, J. McGirr, W. g u " n . E Gribble, L. Burgess, A. Keller, and L. Cooke.

No man can wholesome flavour of put it before nun _ou natch him reach well you can't triumphant pick-up to the appetH*