PLUNKET SOCIETY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 18 June 1931, Page 7

PLUNKET SOCIETY

ADDRESS BY FOUNDER WORK or NATIONAL IMPORTANCE Sir Truli.v King, speaking at l 1 1 l ist - ciiiircli. eongraldialed (lie, ('anterhury society on its successful year. At. present, lie said, serious linancial didieulties were being experienced. While everyone know that, tilings would he. all right, in the end, humanitarian organisations such as the Plunk'd- Society had to suffer with other parts of the community. All parties recognised that the, work of the society was of national importance and successive Governments had promised the society its subsidies. There was another side. In times like the present, the society had more calls on it than normally. Its success depended, ho thought-, on the fnct'that its work was voluntary and that everyone felt it a privilege to do something not only for their own generation, hut also for future generations.

IN GOO)) HANDS It was peculiarly women’s work, hut men’s interest lay in the same direction, said Sir TYuby. .Many women in the past hud given their lives to the society and the- society was in as good hands to-day. He believed that this devoiion would continue. No place had shown moro devotion to the society than Christchurch. Another feature of the local work was that the country as well ns the city was visited. There appeared to he no tendency in Canterbury to hive off from the parent branch, which was one of the finest features of the work in the Province. There was stronger provincial unity in Canterbury than anywhere else.

Commenting on the annual report published by t-ho society, Sir Truby said that, though it was small in size, it was eloquent of the work done. It was prevention rather than cure that was the natural thing. It was most encouraging to see that more and more people were, coining forward to support the, society, and its aims in this direction. When grateful people joined the society they brought in their friends. lie appealed to each member to enrol as many new members as possible, because the, society needed all the help it could get. / # Speaking of the two illustrations in tire report, Sir Truby said that be wanted to sec them go all over the world. Ho felt sure they would appear in the annual report, of the, society this year. Ho stressed the value of illustrations as a, means of brightening a report.

PREMATURE BIRTHS The question of prematurely 'born children bad once been very serious, said Sir Truby, but lately the death-rate had become almost nil. He would say that any child born weighing two pounds or upwards, would Jive, provided it were taken in time to a Karitane Hospital. However, there would be more cause for pride if there were no prematurely born children,- which would come when both men and women took more care of their bodies for the sake of their families. The speaker advocated the introduction of open-air schools all over Canterbury, as, lie claimed, this would in time materially reduce deaths of prematurely boVn children. ’The society was doing the right, lliing m bringing up premature children, as many of the world’s most prominent men bad been premature babies. One. of the most important branches of Plunket • work was with t-ho preschool child. The speaker was very glad to know that of the ten nurses employed by the Christchurch brunch one was devoted to this work entirely. The work one nurse could do was all too small ill this supremely important period of the life of a child. The destiny of a child with regard to its teeth was largely determined during the first two years of life. ...... The treatment of the child from the age of two years to the age of six years was recognised as being of great importance. Weaknesses in later life traceable- to undor-milrilion early in life were often flic result ol the ignoiaiice of the mother. People' were living a very highly artificial life and everybody ought to realise the necessity foiveatiug plenty of uncooked fruits and vegetables. , The children of New Zealand did not suffer from rickets more than children in any other part of the world. There Was a certain amount of rickets, but it* was largely dun to carelessness in not seeing that the. children had all the fresh air and activity they could get. There should he within range of every school a swimming bath to stimulate the activity that was so necessary to induce a. good digestion. It might- be asked why were not halt the Plunket nurses engaged on work with the pre-school child, continued hir Truby. If that were done, the babies would not ho properly attended to. A Plunket nurse was doing her best work when she was, visiting fewest babies. The desired amount of Plunket work could not he done till the Government rr a vo larger subsidies and the public gave.enough support. The society wanted always to work in with the .Health Department and the Education Dcpaitment. To get the necessary amount pi work a body of public opinion would have, to he built up so that the Government would be forced to give subsidies.

SIMPLE HOUSES Sir Truby then touched on the benefits to ho gained from living in simple houses. The elaborate type of school building should give way to the openair tvpo, which was much better tor the children and very much less expensive. Every member of the community should try to live frugally and healthily. . “A healthy population means a luippy population,” -said Sir Truhv in conclusion, “and the more people realise it the better it will .be for our little country.”