PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18998, 20 October 1923, Page 13

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

, '1 he monthly meeting of the committee of the Royal .Society for the Health of Women, and Children was held in tho Plimket office yesterday morning and was attended by Mesdames Johnstone (in tho chair), Rattray, Jos. M‘George. Gallaway, Isaacs, Arundel, Herbert, Barnett. The _ hon. treasurer's statement of tha society's finances to date was read and received, and accounts were passed for payment. ’J lie committee passed a hearty vote o I thanks to Messrs Simpson and Hart, Lawrence, for their generaus donation of daffodil blooms, which were sold in the streets in aid of tile society’s funds on Daffodil Day, held on Wednesday last. .Special reference was made to the valuable assistance rendered by Mr H. L. Darton and the school children at Lawrence in gathering and forwarding the blooms, wliich arrived in Dunedin in perfect condition.

Tlie Matron of the Karitane-Harris Hospital repelled as follows for the month ended September 30: — Patients admitted for treatment —mothers 4, babies 12; discharged—mothers 4, babies 11; in hospital on September 30—mothers o, babies 16; largest number in on any ona day—mothers 5, babies 19.

Three babies died during the monthone, a premature baby, was admitted in a collapsed condition, and the other two were babies that did not respond to treatment. Gf the cases admitted during the mouth, one mother and twins came from Oamaru, one mother and twins from Dunedin, and one mother and baby from Dunedin. Of the babies admitted, one came from Milton, one from Kensington, and four from Dunedin.

There are 10 Phinket nurses in. training. Nurses Grey and Lawer finished their course of Pluuket training during the month. Twelve Karitane nurses are in training. Nurses Jekyll and Turner linished the 12 months’ course, and Nurses .'iarginson and i'atersou commenced a course of training during the month. A number of schoolgirls from the Albany Street School visited the Karitane-Harris Hospital one Saturday afternoon during tha month, when demonstrations of correct; method of bathing baby and making baby '9 bed were given. Niue Home Science students have beet* attending every Wednesday and Saturday morning for a course of instruction. Members of the Port Chalmers sub-branch, accompanied by several members of tha committee, also visited the hospital, when, a demonstration was given by the Raritan® nurses on the method of barhing baby. The Plunket nurses for North and Central Dunedin districts reported for tha month of September as follows: —Babies on the list, 592; babies breast-fed (including partly), 163; new oases for the month (babies only), 41; new rases breast-fed (including partly), 30; advice given to expectant mothers. 5: visits paid to homes, 377; visits to Plunket Rooms. Smart street—adults 245, babies 176; visits to Plunket Rooms, xvoslyn—adults 87, babies 96; bottles _of humanised milk sent out by Taieri Dairy, 7187 The Plunket nurse for South Dunedin district reported as under for the month: Babies on the list. 240; babies breast-fed (including partlv). 82; new cases for the month (babies only). 17; new cases breastfed (including partly). 12: advice given to expectant mothers, 5; Tisits paid to homes* 044- visits to Plunket Rooms, Ring Rdwavd street South Dunedin—adults 105. babies Bt, The Plunket nurse for Anderson s Bay district and outstations reported as follows ;—Babie= on the list. 175; babie« breast-fed (including partly), 47; new cases for the month (babies only), 14; new casea breast-few (including partly), 12; visits paid to homes, 161; visits paid to Plunket rooms, Ptuart street, from Anderson's Bay dis-trict-adults 21, babies- 19; visits naid to Plunket room. Port Charmers adults 12, babies 14; visits paid to Plunket rooms, Mosgiol —a Suits 38, babies 39. The following visits wore paid to outstations-• Mosgiel 4. Burnside 3. Abbotsford A Green Island 4, Macandrew Bay 1. Port Chalmers 4, St. Leonards 1, Rurkes 4, RavensboumtJ 4

The Plunkrt mimes report ed_ that the general health of tec babies visited during the month was good. FLUNK FT WORK IX SOUTH AFRIC A. Miss J. B. X. Paterson left Wellington" lately en route for the Cape after assisting Dr Truby King with the health campaign. She had been invited to lecture on Plunket work for the Child Life Protection Society, and had intended spending a month there. The inl-'rost in New Zealand methods, however is so great that she arrived to find n six months’ tour of the Union arranged under the auspices of the Child Welfare Societies of South Africa. _ _ The. Trained Nurses Association. Capetown branch, showed itself particularly alive to the value of the work, and had booked her. before arrival, for four lectures, beside* a social evening. Drawing-room meetings for ladies were packed, and more mothers subsequently sought advice than Miss Paterson could deal with. However, 7<5 benefited by knowledge culled from Dr Truby King, and voluntarily subscribed to the society. A public lecture was given, at which Dr Truby King's slides were shown, and at which the Government Health and Education Departments were reniesented on the platform, as well as others representing various child welfare branches. The medical officer of Health for Capetown (Dr Higgins) occupied the chair.

Miss Paterson lectured to the _ National Council of Women at several girls’ higli schools, to the Cape Association, and to the students at the Training College and the students at the University. In the last-named instance Professor Ciarke (anatomy), who occupied the chair, pressed home the points Miss Paterson had made, remarking that two charts sent over by Dr Truhy King were conclusive evidence of the fallacy of continuing to “kill’’ and “maim" infants in the way Europe has done for so long. He expressed the desire for a further lecture at a later date, which he Imped all the medical students would attend. Later Miss Ratetjson lectured in the University Town of Stellenbosch, where the women students, teachers, and mothers were so enthusiastic that they suggested collecting funds in order to send a South African nurse to Dunedin to train.

Johannesburg seems equally alive lo the benefit of the werk and peculiar interest is attached to the first drawing-room meeting held in that city.

Mrs Norman Anstey was so impressed while in New Zealand with hearing on u! hands of “Plunket children’’ that during a trip down the Wanganui River she asked a father, who had mentioned that his children were “Plunket.” what it all meant. This legal man then showed her photographs of his children, and explained the Plunket methods and system. When Mrs Aiistey heard of Miss Paterson’s projected visit to Johannesburg!! she immediately offered her house and car to secure a big drawing-room meeting, because, having seen and heard s 0 much of Dr King's work while touring New Zealand, she wished the women of her own city to benefit.