HOME FOR EPILEPTICS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22341, 3 March 1938, Page 7

HOME FOR EPILEPTICS

"TO THE EDITOB OF THE FBESS. Sir,—Several prominent members of the Christchurch branch of Ihe Physical and Mental Welfare Society of New Zealand, an important aspect of whobc work is in the interests of backward children have directed my attention to correspondence appearing in "The Press" on this subiect. May I take the opportunity of emphasising the fact that we have not a single hostel for backward children in the whole of the North Island, much less any convalescent home for adult nerve-cases. During the hist three months, the parents of a 14-year-old crippled and backward girl have been appealing to the Nuffield Crippled Children's Home, the hospital, and various other homes, to extend hospitality to this poor innocent for a period of six weeks, in order that the overworked mother may take a muchneeded rest and change. In spite of the scores of Nuffield thousands of pounds and the large sums of money contributed by New Zealanders for the purpose of caring for children who are hopelessly crippled, so far no place has been found to care for her for a time. Is this mother to be driven to placing hc-r child in an asylum, or are New Zealanders at last to be aroused to insist upon the rapid provision of hostels for backward children and convalescent homes for nerve-cases?

The whole position is a 'oiot upon New Zealand legislation.—Yours, etc., MOTHER MACHREE. Onchunga, February 28, 1038.

TO .THE EDITOK OF TUB PHESS.

Sir,—The whole problem of child life is in the hands, for good or ill, of the child's parents. Wbjr blame mental hospital administration for the distressing disease the parents discover their child to be suffering from? The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. The law of cause and effect works accurately, make no mistake. From my personal observations, having attended to epileptic patients in the epileptic ward (night and day duty) at Sunnyside, these patients received the kindliest of care and attention.—Yours, etc., EX-NURSE. Auckland, February 26, 1938.