WOMAN'S WORLD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 56, 29 November 1917, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Continued from page 2.)

"Hawke's Bay Weddings. Our Napier correspondent telegraphs that the marriage took place yesterday, in St. Matthew's Church, of Miss Mα Wellwood, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Welhvood, of Hastings, to Mr. Bernard Mason, son of Mr ; and Mrs. S. M. Mason, of Napier. Yet another wedding was that of Miss Elsie Hart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Hart, of Hastings, to Driver Norman M'Farlane, N.Z.F.A., sou of Mrs. M'Farlane, Nelson. .

The White Cross. A scheme, under the name of the White Cross, for the assistance of children whose balance, mental end physical, is threatened by the horrible conditions of war, is being organised by the famous educationist, Dr. Maria Montessori, whose method has a wonderfully calming influence on nervoue

children (states a writer in the ' 'Daily Mail"). The problem is to restore the injurwl minds of the little ones to normal activity and joy. . The intention is to start a free course to prepare volunteers to undertake the intellectual care of children, and it will include first aid, knowledge of nervous diseases, dietetics, and a theoretical and practical course in the Montessori method as specially applied to children under war conditions. Dγ, Montessori, who is giving her services, will prepare the White Cross workers with the assistance of medical specialists in nervous diseases.

The plan is then to send out working groups to France, Belgium, Serbia, Rumania, Russia, and other Euronean countries, each consisting of four to 6ix persons. Eacli group would be located in places where refugees are already gathered (for Dr. Montessori is not trying to found new institutions, but to supplement those already established, which are doing a vital but necessarily partial work in providing physical care). These groups of White Cross workers should then, as soon as they are in the field, prepare others, such as war widows and orphan girls, and thus the work of this new society will r.iul-

tiply rapidly. Dr. Montessori has already formed a committee in America, and hopes to form similar committees ill all the Allied countries. Sailors' Friend Society. The sailors showed their deep appreciation of the bright evening arranged for their enjoyment at the Sailors' .Friend Society on Tuesday evening. Messrs. Delmonfc and Spiro were the hosts, and they provided liberal fare for their guests. The vocal pieces of Miss 11. lidelman and Mr. T. C. Newton were much appreciated, and the instrumental items of Messrs. L. Spiro find Delmout were warmly encored. Jlagio and mystery filled a space in the programme, much to the delight of the audience. Mr. Spiro was the operator. Mr. Moore spoke on the late Jack Loudon's book, "John Barleycorn," for his temperance chat, and pledges followed. • Value of Foods. Particular and educative points of a lecture, given in Auckland on Monday evening by Dr. Truby iiing, in connection with Baby Week, were tho explanations regarding the solid and nutritious matter in foods. In white turnips, lie said, there was 6 per cent, of solids and 94 per cent, of water. Tho solids were 5 per cent, of sugar and 1 per cent, of flesh-forming material. Potato contained 20 per cent, of solids, and milk 13 per cent. People took milk as a drink, failing to realise that it was not merely a beverage, but a very substantial food in the truer sense. It took between four and five oggs to equal tho weight of solid nutriment material in a pint of milk. Bread contained 60 per cent, of solids (55 per cent, of starch matter, 5 per cent, of flesh-forming material, and a trace of fat). The speaker dealt interestingly with the economics of the question. According to values, lib. of cheese was equal to 2Jib. of meat, and therefore tho purchaser of cheese got 2J times tho value of money expended in relation to the purchaser of 'meat, where both were sold at the same price, as at present. Wheat contained fourfifths solids, but when artificially broken down to flour it lost a great part of its nutritious value as regards fat and proteid. Peas were among the most nutritious of vegetable substances, and contained a very large proportion of flesh-forming, material. Elcctrical Sterilisation, Dr. J. M. Beattie, city bacteriologist at Liverpool, a former student of Otago University, has been carrying out some important experiments concerning milk (writes the London correspondent of' the Cliristchurch "Press," under date of October 5), and Dr. J. Priestly, Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth, gives, in "Tho Practitioner," some of the results of Dr. Beattie's experiments in the electrical sterilisation of milk. The passing of a rapidly alternating electrical current through it was found to produce the following surprising results: All disease-producing germs are killed; tuberculosis miljc is rendered no-tuber-culous j the chief milk-souring bacilli are destroyed so that the milk keeps sweet for three or four days; the chemical composition and taste are iu no way altered; the milk after this' treatment is perfectly satisfactory as a food for infants. "The method is such a simple one," says a London doctor, "that there is no reason why it should not bo applied commercially on a large scale. If its adoption were made compulsory on all milk distributors it would mean the saving of thousands of lives and incalculable disease." Another of the old pioneers of Canterbury lias died, in the person of Mrs. Marion Matson, relict of Mr. John 11.l 1 . Matson, a staunch advocate of the West Coast railway line. The late Mrs. Matson, who was 76 years of ago, was born in Scotland, near Loch Lomond, her maiden name being Thomas. She came out to Victoria when a girl, and there met and married Mr. Matsoil. Mr. and Mrs. Matson settled in Canterbury in the early CO's.