PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 December 1925, Page 2

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

CHAIR OF INFANT WELFARE. PROPOSAL FURTHER DISCUSSED. (by TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, Dec. 4. The annual conference of the Plunket Society concluded to-day. A deputation placed the society’s ideas for the establishment of a chair of infant welfare before the chancellor of the Otago University (Mr T. K. Sidey). the vice-chancellor (Mr W. J. Morrell), and the dean of the medical sphool (Sir Lindo Ferguson). Mrs Gilmour (Lyttelton) said that the establishment of such chairs had been recommended hv the Geneva Health Conference in August last. Sir Truby King said that such chairs had been established for some years in American and German universities. Sir Lindo Ferguon said the medical school had to cover a wide range, and endeavoured to turn out good general practitioners in six years. Students could not specialise, hut since 1914 child welfare and maternity problems had been part of the curriculum. Much had beep done in the realm of preventive medicine in the past at the medical school, and they hoped to do more. Finance entered largely into the questionand if the Otago school had the facilities of every medical school in the world the course would take 60 years instead of six. . The chancellor promised the deputation that its suggestions would be bron ofht before the University Council on Tuesday. The conference of the society recommended the central council to appoint a travelling instructional nurse to visit and aid the work of -the branches, which should pay the expenses.