TRUBY KING HOME

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 117, 19 May 1937, Page 16

TRUBY KING HOME

TO BE FOUNDED IN INDIA

DR. ALLEN.AND,MISS KRAMER

.With the intention of establishing, just out of Calcutta, a Truby King .home for the. care of expectant mothers and babies and as a training centre for Indian girls, two highlyqualified medical women, Dr. Belle J. Allen, of the United States, and Miss E. Kramer, of Holland, have been taking a post-graduate course at the Truby King Harris Hospital at Dunedin, states the "New Zealand Herald." They are .now in Auckland and will leave this week for. the United States, where they will do further post-gradu-ate work at Boston- University. , Dr. Allen, who received her M.-A-. and Bach. Lit. and later her M.D. at different American Universities, spent ten years in Japan doing educational work. She returned to the United States, where she ' took her medical degree, after-which she was sent to India to supervise the building of the Butler Memorial Hospital at Baroda. She remained in charge of this institution for six years after ; which she; again returned to America. For twp years she was travelling secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement- and later returned to India, where she was vice-principal of the Women's Christian Medical College in the Punjab. ( ' Miss Kramer was born in Holland and took her training in every; branch of nursing in England just before; the Great War. : FINANCING THE HOME. > With Miss -Kramer as superintendent, Dr. Allen'then established a nursing home at Mussoorie, where the patients, who were treated by diet therapy, hydro therapy, and helio therapy, included expectant mothers, babies, and general cases of sickness. Dr. Allen has now closed this hospital in view of her new project of establishing a mothercraft home near Calcutta, and she hopes, during her-visit to the United States, to obtain sufficient money to start the institution. The site chosen for the hospital is out of. the malaria area, and is near Calcutta for the sake of reducing the charges of importing the, Karitane products. ' Although the Truby King methods had been used in India, there had never been a hospital established there for the -training of Indian women in mothercraft, Miss Kramer said. "There is no other part of the world which ' requires the introduction of the. Truby King methods so greatly as India," she said. "Education has always been in the foreground in India, but motherhood training has been sadly neglected and where, girls marry as young as , they do in this country it is urgently needed." THE FALLING BIRTH-RATE. During her sojourn in New Zealand Dr. Allen has studied the Plunket system carried out here and paid a tribute to the Plunket nurses in every, centre, whom she found to be both practical and tender in their care of the little ones under their -charge. "I would like to issue, a note of warning , about the' alarming fall in the birth-rate, here as elsewhere," Dr. Allen said. "It seems to me that the cause for this lies in the general lack of the foods which will build up every system of the body." She pointed out the value of the investigations, which had been made in this direction by the League of Nations.

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memorial which was being erected was in memory of the new.King's father. In a reign of 25 years King George V had done much for the people of the British .Empire and the whole world, and it was only fitting .that a worthy memorial should 'be ' raised for one who had been universally revered. In the current week the-people had shown1' loyalty and enthusiasm for the new crowned Monarch, and there was -no better method of showing that loyalty than by responding 'to the present appeal. , The' health camp movement had achieved remarkable results, but, at present it lacked one thing for" its complete .development— permanent health camps in which the children could ; be.retained for a period necessary for. their complete restoration to health. There was no need to appeal .to-women of New Zealand for a sympathetic understanding as to what was best'for the children. Even 'in the small country districts the appeal had been splendidly received, and he reminded the meeting of the Prime Minister's request, that the donations be as widespread as possible in order' that the memorial could be truly national. The minimum contribu-' tion asked from the people was £50,000, but if that amount were exceeded it would be possible to establish further permanent camps. For example, an additional £12,500 from the people would mean the establishment of another permanent camp in the North Island, and this would probably be set up on an inland site where the-children -living on the coast could obtain the benefits of.'-a change of atmosphere and environments. He urged the women to see that everything possible was done to provide a fitting memorial to a noble King and also provide a substantial contribution to the welfare, work of the Dominion. All present agreed to form themselves into a general committee, with the Mayoress as the chairman. Later an executive was chosen consisting of twenty persons, and Miss N. E. Donovan was. appointed hon. secretary, and cordially thanked for her willingness to act in that capacity. The executive consists of the following:—Mrs. J. Henderson (League of Nations Union), !Mrs. 'Angus (Townswomen's Guild), 'Mrs. J. H. Dickenson (Mothers' Union), Mrs. Myers (Ladies' Auxiliary Otaki Health Camp), Mrs. Gaby (St. John Ambulance Nursing Division), Mrs. Gardiner (Y.W.C.A.), Mrs. Rudkin (Lyall Bay Croquet Club). Mrs. Haslett (Red Cross Society), Mrs. Ashenden. (Charley's Aunt Club), Mrs. B. B. Wood. (Smith Family), Mrs. Parton (PJunket Society and Health Stamp Committee); Lady Gray (Citizens' Day Nursery), Mrs. Gleeson (St. Vincent de Paul Society), Miss I. Willis (Reg. Nurses' Association), Miss N. E. Donovan (Wellington.Travel Club), Mrs. C. O Coad, • Mrs. Dennistoun-Wood, Mrs. J. McKay, Mrs. Wilson Grant, and Mrs. Marshall Macdonald were added as .' individual. members of the executive, and Mrs. Marshall Macdonald • was. ■ appointed vicechairman to act in the absence of the Mayoress, and with" Miss Donovan to join the main committee of the King George Memorial Fund. A number of plans were submitted by executive members, these including the holding of balls, parties of various kinds, bridge, etc., as well as a children's ball later on when permission can be obtained from the Health Department. Much interest and enthusiasm were shown and the results of the meeting should ensure a very substantial addition, being made to" the fund.

bers present to strive to enrol others, and, if possible, to bring the membership up to 300. She ' concluded with the encouraging quotation: "To strive i with difficulties and to conquer them is -the highest human felicity." . "LOYALTY TO THINGS AROUND :- '...,. -VS." ~, -... ; ■ ;'•'. Lady Buckleton expressed ' the opinion that if Wellington had a more comfortable concert chamber the attendances would increase considerably. She spoke 6i the loyalty the Coronation had revealed. ■ • "But," said Lady Buckleton, "we should also show loyalty to things around us and near us. New Zealanders should be proud to support those. who are trying to give their country a little uplift in'the way of good music." Miss Valeric, Corliss said it was a great thing that Wellington had such an orchestra, one .that was ready for visiting musicians, and1 she stressed particularly its educational value. : There ,wereaboi}t ; 40 people present, and they' were • entertained with a delightful programme.of music and a play-reading. An excellent afternoon tea was served. . Madame de Mauny played pianoforte solos and also accompanied violin solos played by her'husband, the Symphony Orchestra . conductor, Mr. Leon de Mauny.; Mrs.E.' T. Spidy and.Mr. Ben O'Brien sang solos accompanied by Miss Irene Spidy, and those who took part in .the-reading of the play, "Villa For Sale," by Sasha Enitry, were Miss Spidy, Miss Lola Kelly, Miss Valeric Robertson, and Mr. Ben O'Brien. . * Among those present were Mrs. Corliss, Mis. Gordon Forbes, Mrs. andMiss Gocdson, Mrs. Rodie, Mrs. W.,; Duncan, Mrs. Bath, Mrs. Hobbs, Mrs. H. D. Vickery,'Mrs. J. Lewis, Mrs..D. A. Etoen, Mrs. Yeats, Miss Batham, Miss Eglin, Mrs. and Miss Reid, Miss Ryan, Mrs. H. Rule, 'Miss Staten, Mrs. Batt,, Mrs. Blamires, Miss " Cowles, Mrs. Stephens, Mrs. Barnett, and Mrs. Stanton Harcourt. -