"SAVE THE BABIES"

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 2 November 1917, Page 6

"SAVE THE BABIES"

INTERESTING LECTURE.

BY DR. ADA PATTERSON,

At a gathering in connection with tne "Save the Babies" campaign at Wellingtonj a \ery interesting address •was delivered by Dr. Ada Patterson, medical inspector of schools. In opening the proceedings, Mrs Massey remarked that the future of this little corner of the British Empire depended upon the physical and moral health of its children. The sacred duty of rearing strong, healthy children, clean ir- hody and in mind, was never of such paramount importance as it was to-day w<hen our British race was being so depleted by this terrible war. Th e children of to-day would become the men and women of the future, and t'heir influence might become worldwide. More important work than the training of them to be God-fearing, •clean-living, honourable men and women, a credit to their parents and their country, it would be difficult to imagine. SCHOOL LIFE. I>r. Ada Patterson was. next asked to speak, and she took as the subject of her "remarks the objects of the medical inspection of schools. "If the ■world is to progress it must he by means of children," she said. "It is only as the children of each generation are stronger, happier, and more capable than the one before that the ■world gets better. Nowadays, people realise this, and realise how important it is that children should have every) opportunity of becoming as strong, as happy, and as capable as possible. One of the most important -ways of helping children is by their school life, and we now try as far as possible to see that children at school are in the best possible circumstances. There never was a time when more trouble was taken to train a child at school, so that he gets the best chance for after-life. Many children never get the best out of school life because they are not in a fit condition to learn when they come to school. 'A child to learn must be comfortable,' he must be clean and comfortably dressed; he must have had a good breakfast; be must have had a ijgood, long, refreshing sleep tha : night before. He must be in good health. It had been found, that many children •were not in a fit state to benefit from scßooT"lif e."

•Dr. Patterson went on to say that the Government had taken much trouble to find out about conditions of land, cattle, etc., but little was known of the condition, of school children. Then began medical inspection of schools. It had been found since this had been started that many children we're not developing, and not learning rapidly because of some simple and easily-reme-died defect. Manyi children, it had been ascertained, did not see, hear, or l>reathe properly, and they were apt to be thought stupid, quite undeservedly. As a matter of fact, much could be done to help them. Clothing- had a great deal to do with the 'health of the children. The essential points about itwere that it should be: (a) warm enough; (b) loose enough; and (c) light ehouga. Woollen garments should be worn next the skin, and for "boys an Oxford suit was preferable to tweed, which was rather too unyielding, and lasted too long for growth. A school costume of tunic and knickers was advisable. for girls, and the thighs should always "be well covered. There was no necessity to go to the other extreme however—as it was foolish to have too many layers of garments over the chest and legs. A frequent cause of ill-health ■was the inadequacy of the boots which ■were often worn by children. During lier visits of inspection to the schools, iDr. Patterson said, she had sometimes noticed the children wearing leaky boots, "which must necessarily be hurtful to • health. Adequate sleep was most necessary for young children. "From four to eight. years of age they should have at least 12 hours of sleep; •from nine to twelve years, eleven hours; from twelve To fourteen years, nine to ten hours; and from fourteen to twenty years, nine hours of sleep To secure a sound sleep a comfortable bed and~~quief; surroundings were essential Seep in' the earlier part r«f the night, was "best. Children of ten years of age should be in bed from halfipast eight at night to half-past seven in the morning, and they should be allowed no evening entertainment inrolving close rooms and mental excitement. It was an unfortunate fact that in many homes the conditions for healthful sleep were absent, owing to noise, disturbance, and foul air in the 'bedrooms. SOURCES OF ILL-HEALTH.

One of the great enemies to children vrere adenoids, which were caused t>y an abnormal growth of tissue, blocking the airway behind the nostrils. Mouthhreabhing became established, sleep was noisy (snoring, in fact), and various other symptoms showed themselves. Changes in the face became very manifest, the expression becoming stupid, the nose undeveloped, and the teefth very cramped in the mouth. The chest, too t did not develop, and sometime.* the child became pigeon-chested. One very certain effect was the lowering of the general health. The intellect became dulled, and deafness among children suffering from adenoids wa« verv common. To treat these cases, correct "breathing in a well-ventilated atmosjphere should fce established, and handkerchief drill taught. Food should be thoroughly well masticated. Slight cases of adenoids could be cured by means of the above directions, . but never severe ones, and an operation shonld not be delayed, as risk was being run of permanent injury to the child's development and hearing. Yet another frequent source of danger were decayed teeth. It was now recognised that a clean mouth was snore important than a clean face, and that the care of the child's teeth would add to his present vigour and happiness, and help to ensure his future health and success in life. Bad teeth gave rise to such diseases as blood poisoning, consumption, pneumonia, diphtheria, rheumatism, and many others, because disease germs multi-' plied rapidly in a decayed tooth. _ The aninute germs of the diseases mentioned might lodge there and multiply by the thousands in a few hours. IMsease germs - could not enter the body through' a decayed tooth. The decayed spot communicated with minute vessels that entered the tissues of the body. When the disease germs entered the body theyyfave rise to the corresponding disease. Bad teeth cause stomach troubles, because poisonous materials and uerms <vure swallowed with every mouthful of food. This caused poor* digestion. a>ad{ breath, jreneral health, and liability to illness. Bad_testh alw> rendered chewing difficult or impossible and food which was >not thoroughly chewed abd mixed with the saliva caused" indigestion. and constipation. al«o caused toothache and chronic tooth- - a'che made children nervous and Srnt.ahle.

TREATMENT OF THE TEETH.

"When the baby was born the muds of all the teeth, both first and second, were present under the gums. Anything that interfered with the baby's health interfered with the nutrition of the growing teeth. Natural feeding was best for the child's health, aim tHerefore best for the teeth. If they were not used when they were growing, the teeth would never grow strong. Children should therefore have hard food to chew, such as crusts, oatcakes, etc. A j.cird apple was a good finish to a meal, and too much soft and sweet food should he avoided, as it satisfied the appetite without exercising thp teeth. Most important -was it to keep the r.t.ejeth. clean, as. uncleanliness led to decay. " Biscuits and sweets between meajsjj were very had for the teeth, a.» the particles stuck in the cracks and readjly fermented. The habit of clear 1 ing the teeth should he begun early in life. ' Each child should own tooth-brush, and be proud of it. Thor oughness and regularity in cleaning the teeth were thoroughly essential. They should ,-be cleaned at least once a day. but better still, after every meal, ano always the last thing at night. At the lea-st sign of decay the teeth should be treated, and a bad tooth should never be allowed to stav in the mouth. Defective eyesight _wa» often m'et with in children, more "in girls than ni boys, and more in towns than in the country. Overstrain should he avoided. Practising music in a 'bad light was one of the causes that led to overstrain, and another vet more frequent and fruitful one was the kinematograph at which children of all ages were to be seen so constantly. Mrs Brown, late matron of the tane Hospital, Dunedin, followed Dr Patterson, and enlarged upon erom» of .the points made by the previous speakers also givinsr demonstrations of how the baby should be covered and placed in the cradle, and various other matters of essential interest. She also spoke of the necessity of fresh air. sufficiency of warmth in t/he matter of clothing and coverings, cleanliness, and exercise.