WOMEN’S WORLD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 173, 23 June 1926, Page 15

WOMEN’S WORLD.

A London cable to the Australian Press states that the Duke and Duchess of York will make the voyage to Australia in a warship, leaving England probably in March. It is presumed that the baby princess will accompany the Duke ana Duchess. Tlio tour, probably, will not be a lengthy one, in view of the necessity of economy by the Government, and therefore they may travel in a small warship instead of a battle-cruiser.

The engagement is announced of Miss Phyllis Rita Nash, fourth daughter of Mr and Mrs N. H. Nash, Palmerston North, to Mr Lance William G. Millward, of Kairanga, eldest son of Mr and Mrs W. H. Millward, Wellington.

A most successful jumble sale was conducted under the auspices of the Willard Home committee yesterday in the Orient Hall. The various stalls were well patronised and assistance was rendered by Mosdames Barnett, Collins and Birdsa’ll. The funds raised will be devoted to work at the Home.

Miss Esther Anderson, Ph.B., who is going home to America by the Tahiti, was the guest of honour at an at home given by the board of directors of the Wellington Y.W.C.A. this week. Miss Anderson has retired from her position of national general secretary of the association in Australia and New Zealand, after 19 years’ service. Greetings to Miss Anderson wore sent from Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, New Plymouth, and Palmerston North Association branches, and with them charming posies were presented.

At St. Stephen’s Church, Elsthorpe, on June 16th, Miss Muriel Gertrude Knight, second daughter of Mr and Mrs Maurice Knight, of Elsthorpe, was married to Mr James Edward McDonald, of Mangahao. The bride looked very winsome in her bridal gown of white brocaded crep© de c-hene with veil and orange blossoms, and carried a beautiful shower bouquet. The bridesmaids were Miss Hilda Knight and Miss Mabel Hansen, who wore mauve and pink crepe de chene respectively, and carried pretty bouquets. The two little flower girls, Joyce Knight and Ruby Livingstone, wore dainty frocks of pale blue bilk and carried posies. The bridegroom was attended by Air J. Proudfoot as best man and Air AI. Hansen as groomsman. GOLF. LADIES’ FOUR-BALL BOGEY. The ladies’ four ball bogey competition played at the Hokowhitu Links yesterday resulted: — Alisses G. Seifert and W. 51. Scott (6 and 12), 6 up; Alesdames Gabriel and Wright (15 and 17), 6 up; Alisses F. Guy and Alarie Sim (14 and 14) 2 up; Airs H. Collinson and Aliss D. Collinson (4 and 11), 1 up; Aliss S. Watson and Airs R. P. Abraham (3 and 7), 1 doiyn ; Airs Trevor and Aliss Dudding (13 and 13), 1 down; Airs P. Sim and Aliss Al. Lyons (14 and 14), 1 down. The junior competition of 14 holes was won by Aliss Alargaret Sim. TERRACE END BALL. ANNUAL SCHOOL FUNCTION. A meeting of parents and others interested was held last evening at the Terrace End School to make arrangements for the annual ball. A ladies’ committee was set up, with Alesdames D. J. Lovelock and W. Newlands as conveners, and various matters pertaining to the successful oonduct of the ball were gone into. COLLEGE STREET ARRANGEAIENTS. Arrangements in connection with College Street School’s annual ball were advanced at a special meeting of the committee last night, Mr Oliver presiding. It was reported that over forty prizes had been donated. The Alayor (Air F. J. Nathan) will open the ball and the Atayoress will present the prizes. Airs Jaggard and Airs Harry Palmer will judge the fancy costumes, and arrangements' have been made with one of the leading professional orchestras to provide the music. THREE COATS. ALLEGED CREDIT BY FRAUD. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, June 22. A police allegation that she purchased three coats and charged them to another woman’s account led to the appearance of ATargaret Durkin, a married woman, in the Alagistrate’s Court, charged with incurring a liability of £2l to J. Ballantyne and Co., and obtaining credit by fraud. It was stated that she purchased three coats, charged them to the account of one of the firm’s customers, and later sold them to a second-hand dealer. Accused was committed for trial. SWIFT ROAIANCE. COUNTESS AND BANKER. LONDON, June 9. The Countess of Gathcart announces her engagement to Gideon Boissevain, aged 25, a Dutch-American banker, who, although he attended the New York premiere of “Ashes” (the Countess’s ill-fated play), only met the Countess a few weeks ago. He is described as London’s “best dressed young man.” The marriage will take place next week.

OUR BABIES. SUNLIGHT, (By "Hygela.”) Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of' Women and Children (Plunket Society). "It ii wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” Outing and exposure to sunshine is as necessary for the proper growth, development and health of human beings throughout infancy and childhood as it is for the young of the rest of the animal kingdom. Fortunately in New Zealand we have abundance of sunshine, but, in spite of this, few babies get as much as is good for them. From the end of the first month onwards the baby should be habituated to a gradually increasing play of the direct rays of the sun on exposure of hands and fobearms, feet and legs, and extending in due course to the upper arms and thighs, and including later on more or less of the surface of the body. It is no use attempting to give any indication as to the extent of surface to expose, or the best time-allowance. These will vary not only with' the age and general health and strength of the particular baby, but also with tho sensitiveness of liis skin to solar radiation. In babies, even more than in the case of adults, there are very groat differences in the sensitiveness of the skin to the direct action of the sun’s rays. Taking two normal healthy babies who (up to, say, three months of age) hhve been reared side by side on precisely the same lines, it might be found that in the course of a month the one would benefit by duly graduated exposure of the limbs and part of the body up to five or ten minutes twice a day, while in the case of the other bahv undue reddening and irritation would have indicated that only a half or even a quarter of this rate of progress could be tolerated. The safest and best procedure is this, as in other matters affecting the babv, is to go cautiously and to err on the side of advancing too slowly rather than risk going too quickly. When a normal baby is about a week old ho may be taken out into the sunshine for a short time if the weather is mild and genial. His eyes can bo shaded from the glare by turning him on his side in his cot and shading his head, without putting any covering near his face. The leather hood of an ordinary perambulator affords a very unhealthy shelter for the baby. AVhen the tempernturo of the lay is not under about 60 degrees 1' ahrenlieit a healthy baby who has been properly reared should have become accustomed towards the end of the second month to having his arms and legs and part of the adjacent skinsurfaco of his body hared, to the sun for, say, five or ten minutes before the 10 a.m. feeding, and in tho course of another week or two before the 2 P-in-feed ilig also. The mother should hold the baby oil her knee, if possibles, so that while he is being sunrayed slie can give him stimulation ancl passive exercise by striving his legs and arms gently but firmly, starting at the hands and feet and working systematically towards the trunk, so as to drive the blood in the right direction and thus promote increased activity of the circulation. As the baby grows older his legs and arms may be bared to the sunshine for, say, ten minutes or a quarter of an hour before his 10 a.in. and 2 p.m. feedings. Even longer exposure may prove beneficial on specially favourable days. If the weather is warm a healthy baby in his second month may have his 'morning hath on the open verandah. where the sunshino can play on his body. Later, when he can crawl and run about, exposure of the whole body in the open sunshine for from 10 to 15 minutes or more may be allowable. ~ If baby lives by the seaside, the mother may safely let him run about on tho beach for a time on a warm summer’s day with little, if any, covering for the body—provided, of course, that he has been reared sensibly and not coddled and spoiled. Babies habituated to daily exposure of the skin to open air and sunshine do not catch cold easily and do not feel the changes of weather—they become practically “weather-proof” and almost disease-proof. Such children are a joy to themselves and to everyone connected with them; they radiate happiness as the sun radiates light, heat and health. Their circulation will be good ancl their feet and hands will blow with warmth even on cold days. Of course, if a baby has not been habituated to exposure to sunshine, the mother must proceed very cautiously, accustoming him gradually, little by little, to fuller exposure of tho skin surface. To ensure pure air day and night tho baby must have a bed to himself. “A babv must nover sleep in bed with his mother.” Only a few weeks ago there was • a case of death through “overlying” in the North Island. The coroner at the inquest condemned this foolish practice, which is still quite common. “If a cot is kept in the room in which tho parents sleep, it should be placed on tho side of the room opposite to where the other bed or beds stand, and thero should be a current of pure outside air flowing across the room between the cot and the bed, so that the baby may not rebreathe the air which the other occupants of the room have used up and poisoned.” Parents and nurses should be brought to realise that, during the

last five or ten years, a series of highly important and very striking investigations have proved conclusively that deficiency of exposure of the skin surface to direct sunlight is one of the leading causes of ledicacy, debility and disease. The first practical discoveries were mainly in the direction of proving that children suffering from various forms of tuberculosis could bo cured and made strong and healthy by gradually habituating them Jo spend some horn's every day in the open air, clad with nothing but a loin cloth—the other factors of healthy living (suitable food, adequate exercise, rest and sleep) being also provided. Seeing what wonders direct sunlight can do for young children in general, it is becoming more and more apparent that we have all of us been too sparing of sunlight for babies; practice is proving that they benefit as much as tho older children of the family from a moro liberal exposure of the skin to direct solar radiation. WARNING. While it is highly beneficial to the normal baby to be gradually habituated to the moderate exposure of the arms and legs, and later to more or less exposure of part at least of tho body, parents ought to realise that, like other beneficial agencies, tho sun’s rays are liable to do more harm than good if any attempt is mado to proceed quickly. In this, as in other matters affecting the baby, tlie golden rule is to advance slowly and watch results. In some babies .the tendencies of “solarisation,” as in the case of some older children, is to cause irritation and freckling instead of tho rich ruddy brown which may be re--garded as tho normal and healthy reaction we aim at inducing. In all cases it is safest and best to expose the limbs and outlying parts of the body first, and to only resort to exposure of the trunk itself later, and for a shorter period. Special care should be exercised with regard to the protection of the head and eyes, especially in hot weather. The best head covering in summer is a loose white perforated soft linen hat or a similar cap-with a brim all round, such as boys sometimes wear when playing cricket. This keeps the head reasonably cool, and the brim shades the ewes and tho back of the neck, which is a danger point in collection with sunstroke. Bear in mind that the . “golden mean” is always best. It is possible to have too much of a good thing, even sunlight. Dr. Saleeby says, “The so-called sun cure sounds simple and foolproof. It is nothing of the sort. Great care should be exercised, beginning with only a few minutes and increasing very gradually.” AIOTHERS’ UNION. JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS. LONDON, June 21. The jubilee celebrations of the Alother’s Union, held at AVestminster, were attended by delegates from all tho Dominions and colonies, who presented reports indicating the great development of the movement. The Countess of Stradbroke created amusement by confessing that she had lost papers containing an account of the work in the Antipodes, but she reviewed her recent trip through the centre of Australia. She dwelt on the wonderful spirit of women living in remote places.—Reuter. CUPID THWARTED. PA IN A ’PLANE. LONDON, June 9. An irate father, on discovering that his daughter had eloped, motored to Croydon, where he engaged an aeroplane in which he flew to the East Coast town whither the young couple were bound. He then motored to the railway station in time to meet the train, and persuaded his daughter to return homo, both of them taking the aeroplane back to London. PINK DISEASE. CAUSE A AIYSTERY. Several cases 'of pink disease have been discovered in Sydney lately (says tho Sun). Pink disease was rare, one of the doctors at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital explained to a reporter. Little babies were tho victims of it. Occasionally complications ensued, resulting in death. Pink disease, he declared, obtained its name from the colour that settled on patients. All the extremities became pink. The pain was severe through the peeling off of the skin and there was great perspiration. Tho tendency of the little patients was to keep their head buried under the blankets. Tho pain caused them to pull out their hair. Aledical knowledge, he added, had not yet established the origin of the disease—whether it was due to a germ or to lack of essential vitamines. Generally the disease lasted for two or three months.