CHILD WELFARE WORK.

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1920, Page 3

CHILD WELFARE WORK.

A SUCCESSFUL MISSION,

RETURN OF DR. TRUBY KING

Dr Truby King's two-year mission abroad in connection with child welfare work was brought to a ciose on Sunday, when he returned to Wellington by the Moeraki from Sydney. Dr King proceeded to England at the invitation of the authorities there interested in the work in which he is recognised as an authority. He travelled by way of Vancouver, and on approval at the Canadian port he received many pressing invitations from populous American centres to the health authorities there and explain what New Zealand was doing in the matter of chitd welfare and the problems of motherhood generally. He accordingly held consultations with the medical and civic authorities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. He also visited Washington at the request of the Central Government Department, and went fully with its officials into the working of the New Zealand organisation, which has made his name known throughout the who'ie of the civilised world. Dr. King arrived in England in March, 1918, and on account of the exigencies of the war it was some time before the institution founded in Earl's Court, on the lines of the Karitane Hospital a,t Dunedin, could be put in working order.

Dr. King responded to invitations to de'lliver addresses throughout the country, especially during the National Baby Week. Once i t was properly under way the London institution is, according to Dr King, largely due to the splendid work of Miss Patrick, who for many years was matron in charge at Karitane before leaving New Zealand on military duties. Miss Patrick assumed control of the London institution at its inception, and she enlisted the services of a highly capable staff, representative of (the loading English hospitals and also of the Dominions. The institution is now affiliated with St. Thomas's Hospital, and the physician in charge is a child specialist from lihere;. Despite strong 'inducements to remain in London, Miss Patrick is relinquishing the charge of the institution and planned to leave London for New Zealand about the New Year, spending two months in America on her way out, "On arrival in New Zealand Miss Patrick will again take up her work in connection with the Plunket Society in New Zealand.

In an interview yesterday, Dr King spoke of the great interest taken in the London institution, where there was an increasing influx of visiting doctors and public health authorities from all parts of the world.

Dr King paid several visits to France in connection with the American Red Cross work, and was associated with Sir Arthur Newsho'lm and Professor Kenwood as a British representative to the infant welfare section of an international meeting. At the eleventh hour Dr King had to cancel a visit he had arranged to make to South Africa at the request of the Government and medical authorities there, and instead had to confine his attention'to more urgent and pressing work in connection with the War Victims Relief Committee in Austria and Poland. On completion of this he left for Australia, in which country he lectured on numerous occasions and conferred with the authorities.