HEALTH AND SANITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 638, 15 October 1909, Page 3

HEALTH AND SANITY.

PLEA FOR FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE. LECTURE BY-DRI TRUBY.KING. .'. ■ A lecture entitled "Life: .Tho Struggle -. for Health and Sanity' , was delivered b.v Dr. V. Trnby King, medical officer of tho Seacliff Mental Hospital, in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, last evening. The lecture was ?iven in connection with the Society for the 'romotiou of the Health of- Women and Children, and was attended by a large number of ladies and gentlemen. His Excellency tho Governor was present, with Lady l'lunket and suite. .

Lord PHinket, in introducing the , lecturer, said that the most important limo of a man's life,' as far a3 his health,' both mental and physical, was concerned, was in the first twelve or eighteen months; ami ■it was appalling to notice the death-rate of'infants, both at Homo and in. this new and happier country. Dr. King, roforred to tho lifo essentials: Food,'exercise,.and rest. Food, ho said, was taken'in three forms: air, water, and foods proper. .More than half of tho body and foods consumed was composed of air, and this surely was- sufficient to- sliow tho importance, of breathing the purest air, a necessity which Vas not valued greatly by many people of' tho towns. A human being could not live without exercise of various kinds. : The word "exercise" was usually associated with gymnastics, walking, and running, but there was.otltr exercise than mere .voluntary musoular movement: Valuable exorcise was. furnished by means of stimuli acting on tho surface of the body. Change of temperature had this effect, and thoro were many other • influences constantly received by tho organs of special • sense —sight, hearing, smell, taste. , Excrciso thus of two'kinds: Sensory and motor. Nine-twm-twentieths of tho exercise taken by man was really, involuntary movement. Rest also must be taken at. frequent intervals, and the taking'of food, exercise, nnd rest must be regulated into well-defined habits. Habits were determined largely by the alternation _of the seasons.. "We are secondary to:the universe,■ said Dr. King,' "and we have to endeavour to conform'to the laws of the universe." With a word of counsel as to the importance of improving the health of the people in this isolated country, the lecturer went on to speak of the simpler forms of life. Hβ showed on the screen drawings of unicellular organisms (amoeba), described their mode of living, and explained how, in the early stages,, it was, most difficult to find any distinction between animal and vegetable life. Hydra (combination of cells) were described, and the doctor spoke of tho differentiation of cells for special functions. In this way the many differont parts and uses of- the human body were provided for. -Hostile organisms were shown whose presence meant pneumonia, anthrax, erysipelas, Sjaßue, cholera; lockjaw; tubercle,. typhoid, or iphtheria; ■'..... >. \ ■' ■ . ■■■ ■ "We do not take enough exercise," said -DriTruby King, "and ■wo suffer from gross accumulation of wnsto products." The headaches which followed alcoholic excess and constipation were similarly caused. In ono caso alcoholic poisoning affected the brain cells, and in the other waste products and bacteria had invnded tho: cells.. .:...-..-,■•

Pointing'out the necessity for ensuring that milk should be kept- pure, the doctor 6oid that on a summer day, bacteria'might multiply . until _ there were as many, as five million in a. teaspoonfnl. "Extraordinary poison to give to babies!" commented Dr. King. ■ A lesson was drawn, from the milk yield of the herd at fceacUff, where, said the lecturer, in fifteen years the yield , !'.ad increased from .£2OO per year to .£2OOO. Why? Because" nil the : calves had been properly brought up. They had been given scope, fresh air, had'been fed regularly, and had- not been "coddled." The herd gave tho highest, milk yield recorded in the Dominion, and, perhaps, in the Southern Hemisphere. ' ■ The effects of. environment, overfeeding, and ill-nourishment, were dealt with, and Dr. King dwelt at length on the importance of good 'ventilation. At the Karitane Home,, Anderson's Bay; Dunedin, infants slopt in- rooms, the'temperature'of which went down"to freezing point'.during the ,night. ■ ■ -.■■■■ . -~•,■■ While'some remarkable photographs of infants wero being shown, Dr. King pointed out tne need of missions,- not only to the coloured races, but to .the people of this country. ' The mom trouble of babyhood, the doctor said, was duo to irregularity in; feeding. ' Dr. Truby King was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his lecture. •