INFANT LIFE PROTECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14784, 17 March 1910, Page 5

INFANT LIFE PROTECTION.

Sin,—The recent action of tho Society for tile Health of Women and Children lias all ibc elements of a delightful little comedy. The insucctor under tho Infant Life I'rotcction Act does not know how to make humanised milk, or, if sho does, she recommends it 100 infrequently. The inspector must be taught tho metfiod, or givo place to someone who has already received a. oourao of instruction at the Karitano Home. _ With muoh beating of tom-toms and blowing of horns the society advances to the attack, A magisterial investigation is. hold, counsel attends on behalf of tho society, sapient leaders appear in the daily papers, ail influential deputation waits on tho Minister. The Minister is boldly asked what he is going to do in the matter. If he doesn't know tho society will very soon tell him. The poor man hesitates; he cannot (five a reply at present—there is too much noise. As the socioty with bland smilo turns for public approval a dastardly attack develops in the rear. What can the matter bo? Thero is nothing wrong with the society or its methods; thero can't be. It must bo ignorance—sheer ignorancc. llow dreadful in this twentieth century to bo so benighted! A champion, a Plunket nurse of wide and rinc cxpcricncc, harangues the multitude. . How cmlxirrassing for the other side! I feel unfipe. But my judgment is ripe enough to know that it does not <lo to be tco dogmatic on any subject whatever, that humanised milk does not acre© with ovcry child, and that it is dangerous for Plunket nurses to undertake the treatment of infantile diseases on their 1 oivn responsibility. As I retire a solemn chant in unison rises over tho domes and minarets of Duncdin. It sounds strangely like something I have heard before—" There is no food but ono food, and (ahem!) Mohammed is ils prophet."—l am, etc., F. R. RIIET. Sir,—With your help I hope to prevent this discussion from degenerating into a useless warfare of words and wild accusations, and from wandering far alicld from the initial subject. At. the risk of weariness, let 1110 repeat that tho beginning was an inquest forced by the society's officials upon I lie coroner, and followed by leading articles iri both local papers, which severely attacked two Government lady officials. Had these articles been confined to exposing the wretched conditions under which illegitimate children are often boarded out 110 one would have questioned thoir propriety. These conditions aro hopelessly bad. The officials simply cannot find homes for these waifs under present conditions of payment, etc., and the Karitane Home could not permanently accommodato their number. It is not a " oreche." Being satisfied from the evidence and from other information that tho attack was absurdly unjust, I presumed to publish a studiously moderate, but olTect.ive, dcfcnco of tho two ladies. That I attacked tho ICaritane Society, or its Home, I deny absolutely, unless it bo construed as an attack to indicato tho real trond of tho evidence at the inquest. The roply of the society's secretary in your issue of to-day loaves my contentions untouched, while it resents an attack that noither Br Riley nor I have made.

Morn deliberate reflection will, I feel Biire, convince tho secretary that nothing has been gained by tho nature of her remarks regarding a gentleman of Dr Riley's professional status. I, at anyratc, have achieved my purpose insofar as I have aided in "turning" an ill-considered attack made upon two officials wlw are not at liberty to reply publicly in their own defence. Here I can afford to rest.-I am, etc., WVNbwmnds.

Siu,-As one in sympathy with tho Karitane Homo and humanised milk, I desire to givo particulars of a case which may perhaps provo tho value of both. Before Immunised milk becamo so well known throuirh l>ady PlunketV exertions, a childl wan ill from'birth. Wo have an idea that tho explanation was to bo found in tlio elforls that were mado at birth to bring life into it. The lvurso hoped its Irawels toouW improve, but ' Uicy continued to Iroublo it for months, and the child was always in pain. The doctor would say it was its teeth that were tho cause, or else that it would bo better when it walked. Tho child eventually, however, became so much worse that it was unable to retain on its stomach any of the breast milk on which it was fed. Tho doctor called in another doctor, who was famous for understanding the ailments of children, and hod for many years been employed at an important children's hospital. The only hope he gavo was an operation at once. This ■wan performed at. midnight in a North Island hospital by a clever young doctor lately from England, [our other medical men being in attendance. It, was then discovered that tho bowels had " telescoped" to the extent of a foot. Tho child almost expired under tho operation, which the doctors had hurriedly to terminate. He ■was then put on humanised milk, as used ' so much at Guy's Hospital, London, nearly four years ago, though tho child subsequently suffered severely with diarrhaa, and .had chicken pox three weeks after, and then • whooping cough and subsequently measles, yet ho is now in perfect health, thanks to humanised milk and science. This shows that even, doctors do not know of all tho causo of infante' troubles. God works miracles now as Ho did in the olden days through tho hearts and brains of living mon and women.—l am, etc., Behkvkb in Humanised Milk.