MOTRITION AND HEALTH

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1798, 22 August 1906, Page 69

MOTRITION AND HEALTH

INFANTILE LIFE. NECESSITY FOR PROPER NUTRITION. Dr Truby King’s lecture on “The Rearing of Plants and Animals,” delivered in the Concert Chamber of the Toavu Hall Aug. 9. was well-attended, tlie greater proportion of the audience being women. Dr Mason, Chief Health Officer, in introducing the lecturer, said they had heard a good deal lately upon the question of the birth-rate and infant mortality. He did not suggest that by legislation or anything else they might be able to influence the first-named problem, but he did certainly think that it Avas quite within the scope of the State’s Avork to do something to prevent the untimely death of so many of those who were" born into this colony. Dr King was an enthusiast on the subject, and wae in a position to impart some very useful information. Dr King’s lecture, as the chairman had indicated, proved decidedly instructive. Taking as his basis the rearing of plant and animal life, deA’elopment by proper* attention, and on the other hand, decline by neglect of nutritiA r e qualities of soil and system, he showed hoAV analogous this was to human beings under similar conditions, the underlying principle being the same in both cases — defective health and defective nutrition. His remarks Avere illustrated by a series of excellent diagrams and photographs, which enabled his listeners to the more readily grasp the points and general meaning of liis address. The lecturer thought that it might seem soineAvhat extraordinary that he who had been connected for many yeans Avith asylums for tne insane, should be speaking to them that night upon th© question of feeding infants, but there Avas no rule of separation betrveen one department of medicine and another, and in connection Avitli the treatment of insa jity he might tell them that insanity was essentially a disease of imperfect nutrition and imperfect health; that, practically, the mind never went wrong unless the- body Avas in a state of illhealth, and so long as the brain was* perfectly nourished insanity did not occur. In connection Avitli the asylums there Ave-re large areas of land Avhere farming and gardening Avas carried on, and one could not be intimately connected with these things Avithout it being forced home on him how little difference there was betAveen the lives and necessities of plants and .animals and humanity, for behind all organic life lay necessity for absolute adherence to the laAvg of' nature, one- came to the conclusion that the first thing to teach human beings was that they should understand the Jaws by which me Creator governed the universe. Tne reason why they appealed to plants in the first instance was that it was much simpler, and they could more readily perform experiments in this direction, which could not be performed upon animals or human beings. \\ hat lie wanted lo convince them of was the necessity of conforming to the laws of humanity, and not what they laid doAvn themselves, in the hope tnut it would turn out all right, because in his own experience it did not turn out ail right. Illustrating the effect of manures upon the growth of plants, and the results of over-feeding and under-feeding, the lecturer showed how essential it was for a mother to take the trouble to find out Avhat was the best class of natural food with which to feed her infant. Children were invariably born strong, and if a child was reasonably treated, tne pristine vigour lost to many families could be regained, in the'ordinary mnk

supply, where no trouble was taken to check it, it was marvellous now bacteria grew, and in their growth they produced posionous organisms upon which children were fed. These organisms passed into tlie alimentary canals, setting rxp putrefaction there. The great vigour of the Japanese race, and the lesson it taught us, Avas largely due to the fact that the children there almost without exception were nurtured by their mothers, and the difference in the appearance of their children and ours was because our children were fo-r the most part fed under abnormal conditions. Tlie lecturer dwelt on the importance of fresh air. He disapproved the coddling of children. Why were children.' not taught at school the benefits of fresh air? Why was it not forced rip on, them ? Why were they not made to ref-' alise that the most important thing ill human life was fresh air? Pure air wafl a matter of transcendent importance; They could not go along the city without! seeing that nearly all the windows os the houses were closed. If people had to pay for fresh air, and pay a large proportion of their income for it, perhaps they would gain more sense. The tinny Avould come when people would do it, but at present they did not appeal* to understand it. What suffering they could save in after life by proper nutrition ofi the child! He would like th© public cod science aroused on this question of the more perfect nourishment of children, because at the present time they were producing a large population of unfit people to inhabit gaols and slums. The number of people under the age of one yeasi who died in England, and in this colony, every year was out of all proportion to what really should die if they only received proper nourishment in infancy. The milk of the cow, Dr King maintained, was entirely unfitted for infants, unless properly modified, containing, as it did, too large a proportion of fleshforming material. Dr King’s suggestion to mothers for an approximately correct food is—(l) Set a glass jar containing a quart of fresh cows’ milk in .a cool place for nine hours, and at th© end of that time remove the upper hail-pint o| cream. (2) Dissolve two ounces of sugar of milk in boiling water; add two ounces of lime water, and make the mixture up to a pint with boiling water. Add this to the half-pint of cream, and heat to a temperature of 155 deg. F. This will prevent fermentation for twelve hours. The heating can then be repeated. Boiling impairs the digestibility of milk. “If mothers,’’ he holds, “resent the trouble of using a thermometer, and deliberately and knoAvingly choose that their offspring should draw in with their milk active living organisms to fight against them, and weaken or kill them, the matter is one for the maternal conscience; no laAv intervenes to prevent thq maiming or killing of children. The usfi| of patent foods is even more fatal than the ordinary misuse of cows’ milk.” If there Avas one thing more than another of which woman was afraid, said the lecturer, it was of the accuracy ol science, of which she was extremely frightened. Certainly it Avas that woman was really opposed to being exact. Hd ventured to say that if fifteen babies were handed to doctors for nouriehmenf and fifteen to mothers, the former would come out of the test better physically and mentally ait the end of a certain period. (Laughter.) It was worthwhile taking the trouble to feed the infante properly. It seemed to him if there was one form of practical irreveranee more than another, it was contempt for the body. The necessity of sunlight and cleanliness generally for the individual were emphasised. When, in the asylums, they wanted people to become strong, they put them in the sunlight—the one CUTS above anything else, yet this was tod often neglected under ordinary conditions. Bathing, too, was most important, and everybody up to twenty years of age and over ought to be- able and fit to take a cold bath. The lecturer dealt with various other matters relevant to his subject, and concluded amidgfc the hearty applause of his audience. Dr King was given a cordial vote of thanks for his lecture. Dr Mason announced tba£ there would be a practical demonstration of how to prepare infants’ food in the same hall at 3 o’clock this afternoon.