BOMB-SHOCKED CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23411, 19 August 1941, Page 2

BOMB-SHOCKED CHILDREN

WORK OF LONDON

CLINIC

TRAPEZE AND LADDERS CURE FEAR

LONDON, June 29,

More than 100,000 dollars has been sent to Great Britain for the relief of bomb-shocked children, according to figures released here by Bertram de N. Cruger, representative of the British War Relief Society of America, writes a correspondent of the New York “Sun.”

I visited one centre in the poorer section of London where work for these children has begun. It was an unimpressive building in a blitz-wrecked neighbourhood where you had to hang about for some time before any one answered your knock. But once Inside, you saw why. The small staff was so busy with mothers and babies that no one seemed free to attend to visitors. So we saw the clinic just as it is on a work day with a war on.

Treated in Playroom

All round a large playroom, the mothers were seated with their babies in their arms. All were either being undressed lor treatment or dressing after It. In the middle of the room was a large ’ table covered with felt and towelling. A trapeze hung from the ceiling and in a recess was a group of children’s play-ladders and bare. Apart from a card index system in another corner, there was little else in the room. Except, of course, a tall, keen-eyed woman, in nurse’s uniform. She was introduced as Mrs Astrid Dane.

In a moment it became clear that she dominated the scene. The crowd of 40 or so mothers looked on her as a goddess. By what seemed to them miraculous and undreamt of treatment, she was restoring shattered infant nerves and building up confidence again in bomb-shocked childish minds. I saw a little bpy go screaming into her arms and come out again babbling with delight and laughter. I saw her hang a little girl by her feet from a trapeze. And I , saw wide-eyed mothers—evidently there for the first time —watch their offspring take aweinspiring walks up the play-ladders and with difficulty suppress the words that flew to their lips: “Oh, do take care, nursg, please! That child will fall and hurt himself.”

But Mrs Dane just smiled and went on doing the most incredible things with the kids. She put them.on the table one alter the other and twisted their arms and legs, and little bodies into positions such'as you usually see taken only by New York’s Roqkettes. To up-to-date mothers in America, familiar with all the latest tricks for developing the perfect baby, our astonishment may seem naive. Yet I saw little Maureen Reynolds, aged two, who had been bombed twice and been rescued from a blastshattered home, behaving as though the experience had done her all the good in the world. Mrs Dane picked her up by the heels and held her head downward just to show how little she cared. She came right side up—full of smiles and ready for more. And I •saw Anthony Kathro, aged 18 months, gyrate .on the table like a top and think it great fun. ; "These exercises relax their nervous systems and develop their bodies,” said Mrs Dane. “There is nothing really new in them. I use the Neumann-Neurode system, which is pretty well known abroad, but it is a new thing in this country. It took time to convince the doctors that it would be useful—but now they send their worst cases to me.” . How much a week do you think it costs to run this clinic that is bringing so much happiness to desperate mothers, whose babies have lain awake night after night with Nazi aeroplanes droning overhead, anti-aircraft guns booming and bombs bursting? Let Mrs Dane answer.-

Forty Dollars a Week

“I felt that something had to be done for the shell-shocked children here she said," so I approached the British War Relief Society. I asked them for 40 dollars a week to run the clinic and they gave it to me without a murmur. Wasn’t it wonderful of them? We are so grateful to all the kind people in America who have made it .possible.’* . Well, there you are—4o bucks a week is going further than you would believe possible. *. . 1 Here'is what Mr Cruger has to say 'about the results: . ; “A baby who had suffered so much from shock following air raids tbat.it went absolutely rigid at every_ noise, relaxed completely in its first night in one of the homes, and slept for 15 hours without stirring." I learned that bomb-shock affects children in many ways. Some must be coaxed for example to eat the daintiest morsels. Others cry unceasingly as soon as they hear the

wail of the siren. Some lose their sense of equilibrium and have to be taught to walk again. Still others show the customary twitchings of face and eyes that characterise nervous disorders in adults. “After treatment by psychiatrists or such experts as Mrs Dane,' we have found it possible to billet the children normally in safety areas,” .said Mr Cruger. "We have allocated 50,000 dollars for these homes.” "Many children have developed Ijphaviour problems due to their wartime experience. For them we have set aside 35,000 dollars. Remarkable results have been achieved in hostels for these problem children.”

FAREWELL TO MISS HINDLE

PARTY AT Y.W.C.A

Members of the board of directors of the Christchurch Young Women’s Christian Association were hosts at a most enjoyable farewell party held last evening in the Latimer Hall, to honour the general secretary of the association, Miss Phyllis Hindle, who will leave soon to take up a position with the Melbourne Young Women’s Christian Association. Guests, who were wel-' corned by the president, Mrs W. MacKay, included the Mayoress, Miss E. Couzins, and representatives from the women’s welfare organisations of the city.* Mrs MacKay made a presentation to Miss Hindle from the board of directors, and tributes to the work accomplished by Miss Hindle while in Christchurch, were paid by Mesdames B. H. Gilmour, I. L. G. Sutherland, Misses M. G. Havelaar, and Bishop, Dean Warren, Messrs E. Hitchcock, and J. L. Hay. Items were given by Miss L. Lawrence (vocal solos) and Mr T. Hutton (flute solos), and supper was served.

WOMEN’S TEMPERANCE

UNION

OXFORD

Mrs Hiett, Dominion president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, was the speaker at the August meeting of the Oxford Women's Christian Temperance Union. Three babies were enrolled as members of the Cradle Roll, and a solo was given by Mrs Mears. Mrs C. Morris, who is leaving the district, was honoured by the president, and Mrs L. Morris was appointed delegate to the provincial convention to be held soon. WANT-ADS.

"1 sold them through The Press’ want-ads. —and bought these new things/’ ' —6