WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6850, 4 March 1929, Page 11

WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION

A well attended meeting of the Worn•a’s Christian Temperance Union was held in St. Andrew’s school-room on Friday afternoon, the president, Mrs. Ferguson being in the chair. Interesting information with regard to the functioning of the corpuscles of t tho human body was given by Mrs. Bitchie. In order to defend our Empire, we had, she said, an army of soldiers. In the same way there was in the human body a defending army which fought for it and protected it from foes. The enemies of the body were all around us, though we could not see them. They were called microbes, ot germs, and grew wherever there -was -dirt of darkness, or bad air. The enemies of the microbes were fresh air, sunshine, cleanliness, good food, and abstinence from things harmful. The army of microbes was large and powerful , but it could not fight against light and purity. If we were not protected against microbes, very few of us would live. The story of the method by which the body protected itself against these enemies was ! like a fairy tale. There were in the body millions of corpuscles, red and white'. For each white one, there were 400 red ones. The red carried oxygen from the lungs all over the body. The white were the defending army and were always watching over the body. When germß got in by the breath, or with food, or by a wound, the white corpuscles rushed to the spot and destroyed them. Many of these bodysoldiers were killed in the fight, and

the white matter in a boil or abscess consisted of the dead bodies of those little white soldiers. Microbes had allies that fought along With them. Bad air, impure water, and- lack, of good food often helped the microbes to gain the victory. Discussion next took place on various remits whieh are to be considered at the annunal convention in March. Some of these were: (1) That the segregation of mental defectives should be adopted where possible in preference to any other, method of dealing with them. (2) That there should not be a limit placed on the earning power of widows. (3) That a woman who was legally separated from her rusband should be entitled to receive the “family endowment.” (4) That the age at which minors might be allowed to marry should not be less than 18 years. (5) That women should be appointed on the Film Censorship board. (6) That the recent disclosures with regard to sick nurses should be thoroughly investigated. A very profitable meeting was brought to a close by the pronouncing of the benediction.