OUR BABIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 17

OUR BABIES

By Htoeta. Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). "It t» wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to main, tain an ambulance at the bottom." WHAT BECOMES OF THE BEAUTIFUL BABIES? The following article was written by Sir Truby King some years ago, but his remarks apply with equal force now, and may well be repeated here: “ Many years ago Professor Patrick Gecldes, the great biologist and humanitarian and joint author of our most noted book on sex, paused to ask himself this question, What becomes of all the beautiful babies ? He had steeped himself in a profound study of the origins and destinies of baby plants and baby animals, but what struck him as the most extraordinary and disappointing of the mysteries was the failure of the little human beings all around him to come up to the splendid possibilities with which they nearly all seemed to start. “As he wandered along the streets or byways of cities, or even in the open country, he found himself confronted everywhere with the same thing—boys and girls, men and women, young and old, had fallen infinitely short of what they might have been. This was perhaps 20 years ago or more, but can the moat optimistic of us say that matters are now appreciably better than they were then, or that we have paid one particle of heed to the clear-sighted and commonsense warning of men such as Herbert Spencer and Geddes ? Could anything be more amazingly significant 6r prophetic than the following passage from Herbert Spencer ? PHYSICAL FITNESS. “‘To be a nation of “good animals ” is the first condition of national prosperity. Not only is it that the event of a war often turns on the strength and hardiness of soldiers, but it is that the contests of commerce are in part determined by the bodily endurance of producers. Thus far we have found no reason to fear trials of strength with other races in either of these fields; but there , are not wanting signs that our powers will presently be taxed to the uttermost.’ “And this was written half a century before George V became King ! “ Going along our own streets to-day what is it that strikes us if we trouble to observe and think whether we are doing justice to our race ? As the crowd passes up and down the street before us, how many youths or adults of either sex could we pick out who would compare favourably as samples of human perfection with the beautiful babies who are so comparatively common ? The vast majority are out of the running ■ altogether. “ This failure to develop and grow up according to early promise causes no surprise Or protest. We have got out of the way of expecting the average man or woman to have the shapely feet, good limbs, broad hips, deep chest, square shoulders, good muscles, graceful, easy carriage, and aspect of radiant health and perfection which would be the prevalent type if man took as much trouble about the rearing and care of his own species as he does about the rearing of cattle and horses. Deformed and crippled feet, spindly calves, indifferent bodies, shallow chests, round shoulders, and slouching gait characterise the majority. THE ELECT FEW. “ Even among the elect few, where can we find the individual who, however well he may look, would be fairly entitled to 75 per cent, of marks as an ideal specimen of manhood or womanhood if the five following points were given the place they ought to have in standards of reasonable attainable bodily perfection:—

1. Well-developed jaws and sound, gooc teeth. 2. Fully developed nose and throat free from all restrictions or ob structions. 3. Fully developed chest with atnph breathing capacity. 4. Sound digestive organs and frecdon from indigestion. 5. Shapely, well-developed calves am feet, free from distortions and de formities. “ Our shortcomings are obvious even t< the casual observer, yet for the most pan people regard the present state o matters as normal. There is no genera protest against human unfitness. S< long as people can manage > to struggh through their daily work with the hell of occasional patchings-up by the doctoi and the dentist, it does not occur to then that any higher standard than this i: expected. Yet it is quite safe to saj that, with very few exceptions indeed the great majority of those who drat alone with indifferent health, and wh< hardly ever feel perfectly well, strong and fit, could • have grown up excellenl specimens of humanity had they been pro perly and sensibly reared. For the mosl part men and women do not suffer fron inevitable ill-health or unfitness, but froir the results of a few easily avoidable daily transgressions of the laws of life The main cause of modern bodily unfitness and inefficiency lies with our women, and is due, not to indifference on theii part, but to lack of necessary knowledge and consequent failure to put into practice the laws of healthy living as regards themselves and their offspring.” GOLF OTAGO LADIES* CLUB A Flag Match for the Mariuoto Cup will be played by the Otago Ladies 1 Golf Club on the Balmacewen links to-day. The draw is as follows;—Mrs Barron p. Mrs Lemon, Mrs M'Carthy y. Miss i. Hart, Mrs Jack v. Miss Elliott, Mise Duthie v. Miss C. Williams, Mrs M'Creary v. Miss Young, Miss Haggitt v. Mrs Breeze, Miss M‘Hutcheson v. Mrs Caffin, Miss Kyle v. Mrs Callender, Mrs Dodgshnn v. Mrs Fotvine, Mrs Milne y. Mrs Carr, Mrs Aspinall v. Miss Sherriff, Mrs Dixon v. Mrs Earnshaw, Mrs Fergus v. Mrs Meek, Mrs Russell v. Mrs Brebner, Mrs La wry v. Mrs O'Grady, Miss E. Johnstone v. Miss Cameron, Miss Swan v. Miss W. Johnstone, Mrs Donnelly v. Mrs Taylor, Mrs Bowron v. Mrs M'Dougall, Miss Brown v. Mrs Bundle, Miss McCarthy v. Mrs Sykes, Mrs Lusk v. Mrs Moloney, Miss Brewer v. Mrs Williams, Mrs Anderson v. Mrs Dick, Mrs Gatej v. Miss Jones, Mrs Sparrow v. Mrs Johnstone, Miss Martin v. Miss Morris, Mrs Barnett v. Mrs Cowan. ST. CLAIR LADIES’ CLUB A bogev match will be played by the St. Clair Ladies’ Club on the Corstorphine links to-day, for which post entries will be accepted.