INFANTILE MORTALITY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11656, 11 June 1912, Page 6

INFANTILE MORTALITY.

(Per Press Association.) -■Wellington; Jitne 10. . Dr Trubv King,. Medical Superintendent at the Seaeliff Mental Hospital, is to be released from his duties at that institution for a term of three months to enable him to make an active crusade against infantile mortality, making a lecturing tour of all the leading cities and towns of. the Dominion. Dr King has ; taken a most active part in ■•the'steps that have been taken for the establishment of Plunket nurses and m other wavs for the lessening of infant mortalitv throughout the Dominion, i feel that this work is so important, and valuable that steps should be taken to enable his advice and talent to ; be devoted for a period, at any rate, in the. direction stated Dr King was one °t the founders of the Society for the Health of Women and Children, which was established to follow out its motto of "help the mothers and save the babies " and that society has had a very .rreat succes.. Its headquarters are 'll liWdin, and it has done .splendid work not onlv there, but in other centres, by establishing Plunket muses, whose services have been of inestimable .benefit during the last few years. It is with the. idea of stimulating the good work that has already bsen done that arran'Tements have been made to enable Driving to spread his influence over a wider sphere than has been possible while ho was at Seaeliff. For the purpose of illustrating the excellent results already obtained. Mr Russell quoted the following percentages of intantiie mortality in the wav 9, Sweden 2, Denmark 12, Jwigianu 14 ' Switzerland 16, France (which has a very small birth rate) 17, Austria.24 Russia 28. Taking the years 1900-190/ (prior to the establishment or the llunket nurses and the Society tor the Health of Women and Children), the statistics showed that in Dunediii. and suburbs the rate of infant mortality was 8 per 'cent., but during the. last-live years, the rate was 65 per cent., dur'ino- the last three years 6 per cent., during the last two yeais 5 P« con*-, and last year 4 per cent. It would thu* be seen that during the past five years the rate of infantile mortality in Dun T ediu and suburbs had dropped 4 per omit., and though other causes may have contributed a very large measure of credit must, in his opinion, be given to the work a? Dr King in connection with the society and the Plunket nurses. The importance of the work to other parts of the Dominion would therefore bo at once apparent It is hoped that during the three months he will be set free Dr King will be enabled to make -a. lecturing tour ->r all the leading cities and towns of the Dominion. The work done will, as tar as possible, be made of a permanent nature- bv the setting up of organisations in every town, visited "for the purpose or furthering the work. Considerable asr sistance has already been given by some of the lead in gnewspapers of the Dominion in publishing articles by Dr King, and it is hoped that other newspapers will assist in this direction, when the organisations have been started. A locum tenens will lie appointed' at Seaeliff immediately, and Dr King will enter on the work at once. A large conference of world-wide importance, ivill take place in Great Britain in August of next year 'for the purpose oi Considering the question of infant mortality, and as Dr Truby King is entitled to leave of absence in recognition of his ong and devoted service, the Minister lopes'to be able to get him to attend ;he convention as a delegate for the Dominion.