PLUNKET SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 141, 17 June 1931, Page 20

PLUNKET SOCIETY

MONTHLY REPORT

y ■. .. . .■. At the monthly meeting of the RoyalNew Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, there were present Mesdames Tythc-Brown, in the chair, Hall, Johnson, Collins, Emerson, Gordon, Ralph,: Hoggard, Corkilj, Binet-Brown, Luke, M'Eldownay, Bringans, ■ Aiken, Wilson, Bullock, Richardson, Hodison.'Mirams, Snelling, Cameron, Good, Caughley, aud Misses Cameron and Barnett. Apologies ■were received from Mesdames Hannah,; Symons, Evatt, White, Burgess, MiicarthyReid, and Wood. . ,

The Plunkefc nurses' report gave the following figures:—Total number of new cases, 149; visits to homes, 1819; visits to offices, adults 1916,' babies 1752, children 276. Detailed as follows: At headquarters, 460 adults, 376 babies, 71 children; Sea■toun, .67, 65, 13; Miramar, 167, 159, 12; Lyall Bay, 194, 180, 10; Hataitai, 120, 117, 14; . Ne'wtown, 87, 77, 1; .Island Bay, 115, 112, 12; Brooklyn, 88, 88, 13; Kelburn, 39, 39, 14; Karori, 121, 119, 29; Northland, 43, 41, 11! Wadestown, 90, 88,; 31} ' Ngahauranga, 1 adult, 1 baby; Ngaio, 72, 72; Khandallah, 81, 81; Johnsonville," 43, 43; Porirua, 13, 13; * Plimmerton, 5, 5; Pukerua Bay, 3/3; Eastbourne, 107, 74. Babies wholly breast-fed, 121; babies partially breast-fed, 17; babies artificially fed, 11; expectant mothers, new cases, 40; expectant mothers still' under supervision, 199; return visits of expectant mothers to pre-natal clinic, 200. -.The; nurses thank the ladies who motored them during the month to their cases, Mesdames Wilson, Hart, M'Eldownay, Hassell, Taylor, and Miss Cameron for flowers, Mrs. Richardson for making three dressing gowns, Miss Barnett for flowers and magazines, Mrs. M'Eldownay for cushions, Mesdames M'lntyi'e, Downs, Nankervis, Kirkcaldie, Ratford, Miles, Cuthbertson, Miller, Ilott, Morgan, and friends, Misses. Richardson and .Fisher, and the Pioneer Club for parcels of clothing.

The nurses report that if; is heartbreaking to go into many, of-the. homes where the breadwinner is out" of work, and the mother has not enough nourishing food .for either" herself or her children.. Tlie matron of the Truby King KaritaneI'Hospital reports that, the, admissions for the month were 13: mothers and' 11 babies, and 12 mothers and 18 babies were discharged. The length of stay, of mothers in hospital ranged from 1 day to 1 monthY the" average time being V/a.' days. Five mothers' were'■ admitted' for' tuition ml mothercraft. One foster mother adopting a small1 baby from the hospital was ex-, tremely, grateful to ;have the opportunity, of learning all the essentials and correct methods of looking after her small charges Cases were admitted from Mdfeterton, Petone,. Lower i Hutt, Blenheim, ,Otaki, ■Wellington and suburbs. During the month 298 visitors were shown over the hospital. The matron returns.thanks for the following gifts: Clothing from the Two Garment Society; fruit and flowers, from: Miss Hitchcock; apples', from Mrs. Richardson-; "Rhnco, from the New Zealand Rennet fto.; mushrooms, Mrs. Miles; vases, china-jars, and flowers, from Miss Caughley; flowers weekly, from Mr. Cowie; cream weekly," from Mr., Huse and Miss Hitchcock. The matron asks for gifts of old blankets, or even pieces of flannel about 18 inches square, to cover small pieces of macintosh in babies beds. The Wellington branch' has reecived from the trustees of the estate of the late Miss Kuinmer (who was a Plunket nurse in Masterton) a bequest of £100 for the endowment of a mother's bed, to be called the "Amelia Kummer" bed, in memory of the late Miss Kummer's mother.; The committee cordially thanks the Two Garment Society for a generous bundle of clothing, containing 160 articles. Babies woollies have been given to the hospital, and other clothing to those in urgent need of. them. , The committee very much regrets the resignation of Mrs. Davidson, who has been president of the Khandallah SuoCommittee for' some' years, and an invaluable member of the mam committee. Itrecords its very grateiuHhanks to the honorary auditors, Messrs. Watkms, i±uu, Hunt; and Wheeler, for their generous eiffc of the annual audit. The Central Committee is/grateful to the ladies who have joined them to help them organise the "Ship •of Fortune Ball," to be held in July. The sub-com-mittees are all working hard, and preparations are well in hand for the event. Both the committee and the nursing staff express their sincere gratitude to Mrs. Maylor, who has been renovating the olfices at Kent terrace. This has entailed a great deal of hard work, painting the woodwork and furniture, and the result is most attractive, at practically no cost to the society. The annual meeting has been arranged for 24th June, and the Mayor has kindly promised to preside. The Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. StallWThe y treasurer acknowledges with thanks the following donations and subscriptions: Mrs. D. Stout, £2 2s; Mrs. Rhmd, £1 Is; Mrs. Aiken, £1 Is; Mesdames Brice, Eichelbaum, Bclanders, and Kiely, . £1 each; Mrs. Cable, 10s; Mrs^Peach, ss. Hataitai sub-committee: Raffle of doll donated by Mrs. Hastwell, £6 6s, proceeds of bridge afternoons given by_Hataitai ladies, £5 10s; proceeds, of jumble sale, £12 4s 6d; Dr. Tennant and Mrs. TytheBrowji, £1 Is each; bos money, £1 /s 4d; Mrs. A. Tennant, 10s 6d; Mesdames Wilson, Manthell, Barker, Webb, Gillespie, 5s each; total, £29 7s 4d. Eastbourne sub-committee: Proceeds of children/party; £8,5s 9d; Mrs. A. B. Cooke, ss; total, £8 10s 9d. Newtown cub-com-mittee: Proceeds of jumble sale, £5 15s, proceeds of card evening, £312s 8d; Mesdames Clayton and Coln,an, 10s each; Me^dames Manning and Bolt, 7s 6d each; Mesdames Ellis, Elliott, Osgood, Tonks, Rowe, M'Hendry, Wood, Webster, Brooking, Hollands, total, £13, 12s Bd.. Kelburn sub-committee: Proceeds o£ ckWreris dance, £11 10s; Mrs. G. Johnson, £3 3s; Mrs. T. C. A. Hislop, £2 2a; Mrs. Barnett, £2 2s; Mesdames Crammond, C. H. Mirams, H. A: Beauchamp, £1 Is each; Mrs. Maudsley, £1; Mrs. R. W. Steele, 10s 6d; Mesdames Murphy, Halhgan, Long,' and Holdsworth, 10s each; Mesdames Morgan, Forgie, Caughley, Kirkcaldie, Williams, G. W. Morgan, Castle, 5s each;, total, £27 5s 6d. Seatoun sub-committee: Mrs.'Gilmour, 10a. ''. '■■'