PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19282, 20 September 1924, Page 15

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

The monthly meeting of the committee of the. Royal Society for the Health of Women and Children was held yesterday. Present—Mrs Johnstone (in the chair). Lady Ross, Mesdames Jos. M‘George, Theomin, Sidey, Isaacs, Coleman, Matheson, ClegI horn, John Watson, Barnett, J. C. I M’George, Barr, O’Neill, Cunningham©, G. I R. Ritchie, Herbert, Moore, S. Neill, Rattray, Clapperton, Oartnalt-Jones, Mandeno, Miss Gow, aud the secretary. Apologies were received from Mrs Benson, Mrs Jackson, and Miss Joachim. Mesdames F. H. Carr, Williams, and Miles were unanimously elected members of committee. The bon. treasurer’s monthly statement of the society’s finances to date and accounts were passed for payment. Arrangements were made for holding the usual “Daffodil Day” street sale on Friday, October 3, advice having been received that the daffodils from Lawrence, generally presented by 'Messrs Simpson and Hart, would be ready on that date. Mesdames Moore, Coleman, Matheson, Barnett, and Rattray wore appointed a sub-comroitteo to carry out the arrangements in connection with Daffodil Day. Mrs Johnstone gave a short resume of the work of the general conference of the society, which was recently held in Wellington, and of which a full report will be placed in the hands of the members shortly. A report was read of the week at Wembley devoted to the interests of dominion women, one day being allotted to New Zealand. Princess Helena Victoria opened the conference, and Lady Allen presided at the morning session. Mrs Hosking gave an account of the activities of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, of which tHo Queen is patron, and of the work of the Plunket nurses and said it was hoped to lower still further the infantile death rate in the dominion. The New Zealand Government was the first in the world to issue gratis a book of advice on maternity and the care of the child to every young woman along with her marriage lines. Miss Pattison said that to speak of “children’s diseases” was a slur on civilisation, for there should be no children’s diseases. New Zealand had reduced her mortality rate from infantile diarrhoea from 25 per 1000 to—in the case of Dunedin—o. The Matron of the Karitane-Harris Hospital reported as under for the month of August:—Patients in hospital on July 31 (mothers 2 ; babies 17), 19; patients admitted during August (mothers 10, babies 20), 30; patients discharged during August (mothers 9, babies 19), 28; patients in hospital on August 30 (mothers 3, babies 18), 21; largest number in hospital on any one day (mothers 3, babies 21), 24. Of the mothers and babies admitted during the month, two came from Invercargill, one from Mosgiel, one from Middlemarch, and six from Dunedin and suburbs. Of £Tio babies admitted, one came from Ravensbourno, one from Glenomaru, one from Mjddlemarch, one from Oamaru, one from Miiburn, one from Winton, one from Sandyznount, and three from Dunedin and suburbs. There are 15 Plunket nurses in training. Nurses Boyce, Jeans, Nicholson, Bailey, O’Neill, Perrin, Berry, Tressider, M’Lcod, Johnson, and Goodson commenced a course of Plunket training during the month. Nurses Edingor, Gudgeon, MT.oun, Hill, Horner, Cartwright. Richards, Satebell, Macnicol, Trotter. Ratcliff, Walker, and Aitkon finished their training during the month There are 11 Karitane nurses in training. Nurse Barber finished her course of training during the month. All Plunket trainees were successful in the examination held at the end of the term. One Karitane nurse failed to satisfy the examiners. There wore 156 visitors during the month. Gifts were gratefully received from Mesdames Theomin. M’George, Fraser, and the Glendining Home. The Plunket Nurse for North and Central Dunedin districts reported as under for the month of August-Babies on the list, 642: babies breast-fed (including partly), 156; new cases (babies only), 24; new'cases breast-fed (including partly), 20; advice given to expectant mothers, 6; visits paid to homes, 350; visits to Plunket rooms, Stuart street (adults 261, children 209). 460; visits to Plunket rooms, Roslyn (adults 44,. children 43), 87; number of bottles of humanised milk sent out from the Taieri Dairy, 5798. The Plunket Nurse for South Dunedin

district reported as follows for the month of Augustßabies on the list, 450; babies breast-fed (including partly), 105; new cases for the month (babies only), 23; visits paid to homes, 289 : visits paid to Plunket rooms, King Edward street, South Dunedin (adults 72, children 177), 249. The Plunket Nurse for Anderson’s Bay district and outstations reported for the month ended August 31 as follows: —Babies on the list, 234; babdes breast-fed (including partly), 44; now cases for the month (babies only), 6; babies breast-fed (including partly, new cases), 3; number Of visits paid to Plunket rooms; Mosgiel (adults 44, babies 41), 85; Port Chalmers (adults 26, babies 22), 47; Plunket rooms, Stuart street (from Anderson’s Bay district) (adults 34, babies 27), 61; number of visits paid to homes; Anderson’s Bay 46, Mosgiel 17, Port Chalmers 2, Ravensbourno 38, Sawyers Bay 4, Abbotsford, Green Island, Burnside 66. The following visits were paid to outstations :—Mosgiel 4, Port Chalmers 6, Ravensbourno 4, Sawyers’ Bay 4, Abbotsford 5, Green Island 6, Burnside 5.