NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19204, 21 June 1924, Page 6

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

There was a very large attendance of members at the monthly meeting of the National Council of Women. The President welcomed the return, after a 'ong absence, of Mrs Hancock, who represents the St. Paul’s Ladies’ Guild, Mrs Doorly, from the Otago Women’s Club, and a visitor, Miss Fraser, one of the original members of the N.O.W.

Correspondence of a varied nature was received.

The sub-committee responsible for the fancy dress dance reported the many unfavourable factors of this season, but staled that a profit of £l3 18s had resulted from the dance.-—The members passed a resolution of hearty thanks to all who had helped in any way, particularly appreciating the co-operation of the various hostesses. Miss Kunciman. a member of the Ladies’ Advisory Committee, connected with the Charitable Aid Board, spoke of the urgency of providing housing accommodation for those families which have been dispossessed by the removal of old houses. So difficult was the position that any rent could be asked and obtained for accommodation, especially if there wore children, ivliss Kune i man quoted an instance where a deserted wife with a family had to pay fil weekly for one room. There was urgent need for a Government or municipal supply of houses for families of the very poor. Miss Runciman then gave an admirable exposition of the subject of maternal morbidity by n. representative of the Trained Nurses’ Association—an exposition affording a reassuring view of actual conditions and explaining to the lay mind the statistics (hat, as quoted by Dr Trubv King, instilled in the minds of expectant mothers a nervousness and terror quite uncalled for. Dealing with the comparison of maternal mortality statistics of New Zealand and other countries, the speaker pointed out that in largo countries such as America there was considerable difficulty m obtaining accurate figures, and, moreover, these were classified under different causes, whereas in Now Zealand, owing to its smallness, greater accuracy was secured, but then all deaths during pregnancy were collected under one head. Of these causes of death onlv one- that which was the least frequent—was specified. Septicsemia comes in waves, and the predisposing cause was difficult to trace, but all midwives and doctors were on the alert should a case occur anywhere in the dominion and take necessary precautions. The death rate ot the three outstanding maternity hospitals in Dunedin (public and privat;) was considerably below the figure given in Government statistics. No such death no death whatever—had occurred in fh- 5 Government maternity hospital since 920. Moreover, continued the speaker, the zealous doctor made no mention of the patent fact that the patient herself may have contributed to the fatal termination of her condition by overwork, illness, ir nerves. • In respect of the private maternity hospitals, these were, speaking generally, well equipped and admirably managed by midwives, whoso life was most strenuous and self-sacrificing by reason of the high sense of responsibility and the high standard of professional skill of midwifery ag well as of the medical man. 'those institutions were indispensable and the Government inspection should be helpful and sympathetic. Particularly were such required in the country districts, where patients live at a great distance from the only doctor. It was safer for the patients to bo in charge of a trained nurse and in a home near the doctor’s residence, and so within reach of constant supervision in a way that was quite impossible in their scattered homes, which offer no facilities for illness. It would be a fatal mistake to abolish those small private hospitals, and, moreover, from the financial point of view, impossible for the Government to provide sufficient accommodation to replace them. The State hospitals should ho models for the others, and they should be training schools for the medical profession and the midwives in all the best knowledge and the highest ideals obtainable Regarding the fear of midwives and nurses carrying infection, the speaker stated that sterilisation was always resorted to, and it would he advantageous for the medical attendant to practise it also. ‘ Should anv probationer show signs of being a “germ-carrier,” she was immediately turned down, and not allowed to train for that profession. Before closing. the sneaker gave the comforting assurance that the temperature charts were sent regularly to tho Health Department, and should a temperature remain high a qualified practitioner was at cnco called in, and that no doctor in the present day resorts to what some of tho anonymous writers to the press have termed “meddlesome methods.” At tho conclusion of her most interesting address, a very congratulatory vote of thanks was passed by tho members to Miss Bnnciman, who knew her subject so well and who discussed it in so discriminating a manner.