HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 34

HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

SOCIETY IN CONFERENCE

The second annual conference of the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children opened in the Town Hall on the 2nd inst., at 10.30. Mrs Truby King, president of the society, presided.

LIST OF DELEGATES.

The delegates to the conference are as follow: —Dunedin, Mesdames Carr and Hosking; Timairu, Mesdames Smithson and Baumber; Temuka, Mrs Armytage; Palmerston North, Mrs Young; Ghristchurch (proxies), Mesdames -Fdmond and Moore; Auckland (proxy), Mrs Donald; New Plymouth (proxy), Miss Gow; Napier (proxy), Miss Beswick. There were also present: Mesdames Theomin, Ritchie, Gallaway, Harris-, Edwards, M'Master, Joachim, Jackson, Sidey, Walker, Rattray, Moore, Keith Ramsay, Loudon, Arundell, Allen (Mosgiel), James Allen, Ansel.lt Blair, Mies Beswick, Sister Evelyn, Adjutant Tweed.

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. Mrs Truby King delivered the presidential address, which will be published by instalments in the following issues.

On the motion of Mrs Smithson (Timaru), seconded by Mrs Young (Palmerston North), Mrs King was accorded a vote of thanks for her very interesting and instructive address. RESOLUTIONS PASSED. The following resolutions, framed by the Central Council, were passed by the Conference yesterday: " That a scheme for the provision of four travelling Plunket nurses for the Dominion be at once inaugurated on some such basis as the following:—l. The Dominion to be divided into four working areas—-say, (1) South Canterbury, Otago, and Southland provinces; (2) North Canterbury, Westland, and Nelson provinces; (3) Wellington, Marlborough, and Napier provinces; (4) Auckland and Taranaki provinces. 11. The Plunket nurse established at one of the centres of each large area to 6pend, say, three or four months in every year travelling throughout the whole district lecturing, demonstrating, and promoting the formation and effective working of new sub-centres, etc. 111. The Central Council to arrange for the replacement of the travelling Plunket nurse by a thoroughly trained and competent substitute while the former is away from her fixed centre. IV. Each travelling Plunket nurse to spend, say, a week or a fortnight every year at the Karitane Baby Hospital, so that she may be kept in intimate contact with all practical advances arrived at during the year. It is felt that this will gireatly promote the harmonious and consistent carrying out of the society's mission, and will sustain esprit de corps." " That the members of this conference place on record the favourable expressions contained in letters from the Chief Health Officer with regard to the resolution passed at the conference held in October, 1909, re prohibition of sale and use of long-tube feeders in trie Dominion. Ln view of the authorities being in absolute sympathy with the suggestions of the society, this conference instructs the hen. secretary of the Cenitral Council to communicate further with Ministers and local members of Parliament with the object of having a satisfactory measure passed this session." "That the Minister be approached with the object of preventing the sale of the indiairubber devices known variously as the dummy, comforter, pacifier, or infant soother, in view of the fact that it has been abundantly shewn hot only to_ give rise to indigestion and mal-nutriticn in infants, but also to cause grave structural changes in mouth, nose, and throat, and to be largely associated with the establishment of mouth-breathing and ndenoids and n of diseases predisposed to these conditions "

In the afternoon delegates paid a visit to Karitan© Home

Second Day—Thttesday. The Society for thfl Promotion of the Health of Women and Children continued its sitting in conference at the Town Hall on the 3rd inst.

The following resolutions were passed: That something practical in the direction of a more general extension of the benefits of the systtmatic care of infants, inaugurated by the society, be attempted, by offering to help and co-operate with the general hospital authorities in regard to the care of babies, inside and outside

such institutions. Note.—W© will therefore arrange that the local Plunket nursing- staff shall cooperate where possible with the physicians and nursing staff in their districts. It is felt that a provision of _ this kind would prevent the relapses which so frequently ensuo upon removal of babies from hospitals, while securing al?o the proper treatment of out-patients. As a beginning we

propose to offer to the board of any three hospitals possessing a children's ward our special three months' training- to one fullycertificated nurse chosen by the board to take charge of such ward freo of expense, on condition that the nurse so trained returns to her hospital for at least a year. That the Government be approached with a view to rendering illegal the sale of patent foods sold as baby's food, which have not. the percentage of sugar fat and profceid (or flesh-forming material) marked on the outside. That those persons who are responsible for the placing and upbringing of children boarded out by the State be interested as much as is possible in the methods advocated by the society. That persons having the care of . boarded-out infante and young children in their homes be instructed as to the proper feeding of the same. A letter was received from Mrs Blair (president of the 5T.W.C.A.) asking the co-operation of the society with a view to bringing into force the recent act of Parliament whereby women may be elected on charitable aid and school boards. —The conference declared itself as being quite in svmpathy with the suggestions, and Mrs Hosking, Mrs Theomin, and Miss Gow were appointed to confer with the Y.W.C.A. and allied societies.