WORK OF PLUNKET SOCIETY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22435, 23 June 1938, Page 10

WORK OF PLUNKET SOCIETY

“Has Done An Infinity Of Good” REPLY MADE TO CRITICISM Statement by ActingMedical Adviser In “The Press” of last Monday was reprinted from the June number of the “New Zealand Medical Journal” an article by Dr. F. M. Spencer dealing with malnutrition among young children in New Zealand. Dr. Spencer suggests that underfeeding in infancy often results from an unintelligent application of Plunket Society rules, which he considers too hard and fast. “The Press” has received a reply to this article from Dr. E. H. Williams, Acting-Medical Adviser to the council of the Plunket Society, in which he says that the society is quite alive to the necessity of inquiring into its methods in the light of modern knowledge. “If the intention of the article appearing in ‘The Press’ of June 20, entitled ‘Malnutrition in Dominion,' was immediately to . disrupt the Plunket Society by discrediting it in the eyes of the large public which has looked up to it during the last 30 years, then a convincing procedure has been adopted.” writes Dr. Williams. “The publication from which the information has been derived, represents the experience and opinion of one man presented to a medical audience for their judgment and criticism. Although it may draw attention*to weaknesses in the Plunket system, it surely might have been expected that the views and intentions of the society might have been ascertained before publication of what is a condemnation of a voluntary organisation whose whole object for 30 years has been the benefit to mother and child. Had this been done, it would have been found that the society is quite alive to the necessity of inquiring into its methods in the light of modern knowledge. Within the last week it called together its medical advisory committee, and as a result of this meeting a report is being prepared which will be presented to the council as soon as possible. “It could also have been ascertained that a somewhat similar movement of wider scope is being undertaken by the medical research council to inquire into the subject of nutrition as it affects population, including infancy. “A Great Achievement” “In the same journal from which the subject matter of the article is derived is an editorial which is well considered and more temperate in its approach to the subject. The sincerity of the author of the criticism is not questioned, only the methods that have been adopted for making his opinic.is known to the public. It is easy to offer destructive criticism of a system by its failures, and the more farreaching its activities, the greater the opportunity. That the society has been aware that there may be short-comings is evidence by its desire to inquire into the position, and from the fact that from time to time it has endeavoured to bring about improvements in feeding methods. But when we consider the many thousands of successfully, indeed, ideally-reared infants under the Plunket-system through the years, there is sufficient justification for pride in a great achievement. “The Plunket Society, which perhaps has received more extravagant yet deserved, praise than any other institution in the country, finds itself suddenly assailed on the death of its founder, as if it were responsible, not as of old, for the excellence of New Zealand children, but for every example of malnutrition to be found in the country. The term ‘malnutrition’ may be applied to any departure from the normal—even one carious tooth will qualify. If, however, the records of an infant’s first year show normal development, physical progress and muscular tone, it would seem rational to look for the causes of malnutrition after this period. Any unbiased observer can mention several factors operating in the pre-school and school age. Regarding the former age, the Plunket Society is doing as much as possible with the staffs available. The school medical service is attending to the school age. More satisfactory results could be achieved in both age groups -if better co-operation of the parents could be secured, and if the necessary protective foods were more readily available to children who are frequently deprived of them through reasons of economy or from indifference or ignorance. Tribute to Sir Truby King “The public are well aware, and have been lately reminded, that the system under criticism was established some 30 years ago by a very remarkable man whose views on infant nutrition and requirements were then the most advanced in the civilised world. Such a system could have been launched successfully and made universal throughout the country only by adopting a rigid dogma which the unscientific people who had to administer it could clearly understand and insist upon. “Such a system is well adapted to the general but must sometimes fail in the particular case. Its general excellence has never been in question, but a good many students of the subject in recent years have regarded its methods of infant feeding as requiring some revision. Such constructive criticism .has been appreciated by the Plunket Society and by those medical men who have helped administer the, society’s work; and now that Sir Truby is no more, they have taken steps to investigate the whole question, being fully persuaded that the greatest memorial that they could establish to Sir Truby King is to keep his system up to date and in line with modern thought. “But Sir Truby was hardly in his grave before a series of alarmist articles began to appear in the press with appeals to this and that authority to institute inquiry into a system which it is suggested, is producing a ‘C3 population.' This is surely to be deprecated. It can hardly be that a system which has been allowed to continue. and. moreover, has flourished for 30 years can be so completely defective. But the public are fickle, and sensational material in the press always finds readers: and there may rise up a foolish demand to jettison a system which has. without doubt, done an infinity of good. It will he a long time before another Sir Truby King is found to establish a better.”