AMERICAN METHODS
"THE HUMANE TOUCH"
AUCKLAND, This Day
Held in high regard as a neurologist and alienist of exceptional talent, Dr. Frederick Peterson, of New York, arrived at Auckland by the Niagara. Ho will devote a fortnight's stay in tho Dominion to tho study of New Zealand's public health works, with particular reference to child welfare and tho caro of the mentally defective. Ho believes that in Now Zealand he will find much of professional interest. Tho work of Sir-Truby King, founder of tho Piunket system, was well esteemed, in tho United States, he said, while- Now Zealand's experiments in sociology had been followed with keen interest in othor parts of tho world.
As an accepted authority on hospitals for the insane and institutions for epileptics, Dr. Peterson is particularly interested in that phase of public health work in New Zealand. "In forty years the methods of dealing with the insane have vastly changed. The humano touch has been imparted with gratifying results, 'although the- insanity and tho mentally defective rate in the United States still stands at tho hiph figure of 1 in 300. The- old typo of barrack asylum, where patients had no occupation, no, books, no flowers, nothing to give them an interest in life, is passing, and instead there- is coining into existence tho villa type of build-
ing. America has gone- further than New Zealand in tho oversight of child mentality, for, in addition to attending to retardate pupils in schools, special pains are takon to accelerate tuition, of children of brighter intellectual capacity who are not obliged to tako the usual time over their schooling if it is evident that without detriment to their health they can progress faster. Ungraded schools have been established, and there aro special classes for retardate children, the ppen-air schoolroom being largely used in cases in which it is evident tho child's need is fresh air. Special heed is also paid to children suffering from malnutrition. ' '
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1929, Page 12
Word Count
327AMERICAN METHODS Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1929, Page 12
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