HEALTH CAMPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23201, 27 May 1937, Page 10

HEALTH CAMPS

THE MEDICAL VIEWPOINT "WONDERFUL MEMORIAL" FAR-REACHING BENEFITS (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, May 26. The importance of children's health camps from a mec'».?al viewpoint was emphasised by Dr T. D. M. Stout, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, in a statement supplementing the appeal for the King George V National Memorial Fund. " The medical profession has always deeply appreciated and profoundly admired the intelligent and beneficent interest that has continuously been taken in medical ccience and in the health of the community by members of our beloved Royal Family." said Dr Stout. "The late King George Vs epithet of 'father of his people' was most adequately earned by a lifetime of humble and never-ending service on behalf of all his subjects. Nothing, I am certain, would have given him more pleasure than to give his help and encouragement in the institution of camps throughout the Empire for the benefit of the health, and with it the real happiness of the young children. Is it not our duty, therefore, in deeply honouring his name and showing our appreciation of his beneficent reign over the Empire, of which we are so proud to be a small but profoundly loyal part, to further with every effort of which we are capable the memorial which would have given him such heartfelt pleasure if he were still alive? EDUCATION IN HEALTH "I can assure the people of New Zealand that the medical profession unanimously recommends the objective selected as a memorial in this country. We have watched with the greatest interest and pleasure the great improvements in the health of the children who have had the privilege of attending the camps during the last few years. Not only has there been improvement in health, which can be measured by the increase in weight and the obviously improved well-being and vitality, but there is. maybe even more important, the training of the children in the great and all-important details of healthy living and a wellchosen and balanced diet. The education, also, of the weakly child to appreciate the open air life must always remain as a constant corrective to any later tendency to ill-health. This education will be steadily diffused throughout the families of these children, and so throughout the community. The children's health camps are perhaps one of the most important steps in preventive medicine so far taken by the community, INCALCULABLE RESULTS "If, as I believe, a solid foundation can be thereby laid for the camps to remain as a permanent part of our social life the results to the future generations of New Zealanders will be incalculable. I hope that the camps will be always known as the King George V Health Camps, a living memorial of healthy, active and happy young children, surely the most wonderful memorial that any man, even a king, can be given. May we show by support of this memorial how much we as New Zealanders loved and admired our gracious sovereign, King George V."