PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19952, 20 November 1926, Page 7

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the committee of the society for the Health of Women and Children was held in the Flunket office yesterday, and was attended by Mesdames Jos. M’Ueorge (in the chair-), T. K. Sidey, Fraser, J. C. M’George, G. Gallaway, F. H. Carr, Hove, Cleghorn. Brown, Mandeno, Wilson and Williams, the Misses Liddiard (London). Fattrick and the secretary. Apologies were received from Mesdames Johnstone, Moore and O'Neill. The secretary presented the monthly statement of the society’s finances to date, and accounts were passed for payment. The Matron of the Karitane-Harris Hospital reported as follows for month ending October 31: Number of patients in on September 30: Mothers four, babies 21; total 25. Number of patients admitted for treatment: Mothers 14, babies 27; total 41. Number of patients discharged: Mothers 15, babies 26; total 41. Number of patients m on October 31: Mothers three, babies 22; total 25. Largest number in on any one day: Mothers five, babies 23; total 28. Sources of admission.— One mother and baby from Oamaru; one mother and baby from Greenfield; one mother and two babies from Mosgiel; 11 mothers and babies from Dunedin. Babies. —One baby from Gore; one baby from Pembroke; one -baby from Waikaka Valley; nine babies from Dunedin. Nursing Staff. —There are 21 Pluuket nurses in training. Nurse Hogwood returned to finish her training, and nurses Mason, Davy, Walsh and Warned: com-, raenced their course of training. There are 11 Karitane nurses in training. Nurse Grey finished her course of training and Nurse Cossens commenced. Lectures. —Lestures have been given this month by Dr Williams and Dr Strain. Thirty Girl Guides visited the hospital, and were given instruction in bathing and dressing a normal baby, the choice and preparation of food for toddlers, and the washing of babies' woollen garments. Visitors. —There were 220 visitors during the month. ' Gifts. —Gifts were received from Mrs Galloway, Mr Bartlett, and the Giris’ Friendly Society. The Plunket nurses for North and Central Dunedin districts reported as follows for the month of October: —Number of babies on the list, 667; Number of babies breast-fed (including partly). 240; number of new cases for the month (babies only), 40; number of new cases expectant mothers, eight; number of babies breastfed (including partly, new cases), 55; number of visits paid to homes, 659; number of visits paid to Plunket rooms —Stuart street, mothers 252, babies 208, total 460; Roslyn, mothers 59, babies 64, total 123; Kelsey-Yaralla Kindergarten, mothers 49, babies and older children 59, total 108; Out-patients’ Department Public Hospital, mothers seven, babies six, total 13; number of bottles of humanised milk sent out from Taieri dairy, 4593. The Plunket nurse for Caversham district and out-stations (north line) reported as follows for the month of October Number of babies on the list, 144; number of babies breast-fed (including partly). 30; number of new cases for the month (babies only), four; number of babies breast-fed (including partly, new cases), four; number of visits paid to homes. 42; number of visits paid to office, mothers 16, babies 11, total 27. Tho Plunket nurse for Anderson’s Bay district and out-stations (south line) reported as follows for the month of October; —Number of cases on the list, 194; number of babies breast-fed (including partly), j 69; number of new cases for tho month (babies only), 13; number of babies breast- j fed (including partly) (new cases), 7; num- j her of new cases expectant mothers, 2; number of visits paid to homes—Anderson’s Bay 65, Mosgiel 21, Port Chalmers 4, Ravons-boju-no 10. Abbotsford and Green Island 63. Macandrew Bay 13, total 176. Number of visits paid to rooms: Centra! office.

Stuart street, from Anderson’s Bay. adults 54 ; babies 50 (104); Mosgiel, adults 31, babies 31 (62); Port Chalmers, adults 8, babies 8 (16) ; total, 182. The following l visits were paid to out-stations: —Mosgiel 5, Port Chalmers 2. Ravensboume 2, Abbotsford 5, Green Island 5, Macandrew Bay 3.

Tho 'Plunket nurse foe South Dunedin districts reported for the month of October as under: —Number of babies on the list, 498; number of babies breast-fed (including partly), 127; number of new cases for the month (babies only), 25; number of babies breast-fed (including partly) (new cases), 20; number of visits paid to homes, 301. Number of visits paid to Plunket rooms, King Edward street. South Dunedin, adults 201, babies 207, total 408. The President reported that satisfactory progress is being made in connection with the “Lady Truby King Fellowship” appeal for funds to endow a child welfare scholarship in connection with the Otago University.

The collectors reported that they have everywhere been most sympathetically received, and encouraging reports were re* ceived from various branches of the society throughout the Dominion. In connection with the recent Daffodil Day sale, the committee passed a hearty vote of thanks to Messrs Simpson and Hart tor their generous donation of daffodils from Lawrence, and to Mr H. L. Darton (Lawrence) for his valuable assistance in connection with the picking and forwarding of the blooms. At the conclusion of the general business of the meeting. Miss Liddiard, matron of the Mothorcraft Training Centre in London, gave a very interesting account of that organisation established by Sir Truby King and Miss Pattrick in London in 1918, to carry on infant welfare in England similar to the work carried on by the Plunket Society in New Zealand. Miss Liddiard briefly outlined the stages of the wonderful progress and development of the organisation founded at Tretovir -road and the difficulties duo to wartime and post-war conditions, which were gradually overcome, when in '925 the lease of the Tretonr road premises lapsed, the beautiful, historic property known as Cromwell House was secured, and tho fact that, though at tli« end of the first year of occupancy of tho new premises the society’s expenses had been doubled, its income had also been doubled, is evidence that the work was receiving the public appreciation and sups port which it merited