OUR BABIES

Otago Witness, Issue 2984, 24 May 1911, Page 70

OUR BABIES

By Hygeia.

Published tinder the auspices of the ' Society for the Health of Women and is‘wiser to put up a fence the top of a precipice than to >( maxnta ambulance at the bottom. THE DORSET There have been a large number of inquiries* recently about giving up ’ and we find tnat most of out couespo dents missed an article which we published -wo years ago on this very subject. ‘ The following communication was sent to us iustas it is, and we earnestly commend it to the attention of mothers and thoS in charge • of children and young girls The course of muscular training which our correspondent hit °n w=s the proper and natural means of mdnng t.r eelf fit to stand alone unaided by artificial support She lias made her muscles effect whf steel and whalebone could only clumsily imitate in the way ot support and that at the expense of movements of chest and abdomen, in addition to a(ffsplacement of deep-seated internal structures'. WOM AN AND THE DORSET. _ For vears we have been warned against the corset. It has teen lectured against harangued against, condemned in unstinted terms Every book on physiology and hygiene devotes chapters to recounting its dangers. It has been proved to be the cause of an enormous amount of suffering to women and ot weakness in their offspring. But woman still clings to it will not let it go. ~ ~ Of late years it has been considerably modified and improved, certainly, and the . more sensible women take ca.re to buy the modified article. A few of the strongornatured have given it up altogether; a fair number of’ young girls have not yet been bullied by stupid mothers into wearing it. But the great majority of women still buckle themselves up in this comfortless combination of bone and steel and stitching., stifling a somewhat stirred conscience with the reflection that they really cannot do without it. THINK THEY CANNOT DO WITHOUT IT. And they cannot. That is the rub. They have never been shown how to do without it. All their lives they have used the corset as a support both for themselves and their clothes. Suddenly they are asked to do away with , this support, this girdle of strength end firmness on which they have unconsciously grown to place the most utter dependence; and nothing is given to' take its place. No wonder that a few days’ trial convinces them that an aching floppiness is the only result of the desertion of the corset. They naturally argue that what is unbearable for them can scarcely bo bearable for their daughters. Hence the perpetuation of the corner and its evils. A GIRL’S EXPERIENCEAnd yet, if one only receives the necessary hint, it is quite a simple matter to dross comfortably and delightfully without it. Perhaps the experience of a New Zealand girl who has thought the matter out may give enlightenment to there who need it. THE START. As a baby, she was subjected to the usual binding methods so favf/imks by mothers and nurses of years ago, and still unfortunately not extinct- As a little girl she wore a hot and uncomfortable, strapped thing of jean, whose only office seemed to be that of wrinkling into the most tireeome places. COMPULSION. As a girl in her early teens she was instructed into the stiff mysteries of a real grown-up corset, with its steel bars that would insist on snapping till her muscles learnt to lie still and rigid behind them It was tiresome not to bo able to bond and twist as one felt inclined, and the whole thing was dreadfully uncomfortable, but, of course, it had 1 to be worn! She f-.ocn grew accustomed to it, and ceased to rebel. ENLIGHTENMENT. When about twenty-three giro icad n. book fn which th« r.b.mrdity, tho unhaaUhfulncss,

[ ?.nd the positive danger of the corset were 1 pointed out. For a few days the girls ' face wore a disturbed look. REBELLION—MISERY—DEFEAT. Next she announced, "I'm going to give up corsets." "Nonsense!" said mother. You 11 look a fright if you do." ■ "You'll feel wretched," said her sister. , "I know. I tried it once." ' "I'm going to do it," saidi the girl. i And she did—for two days. Those were two days of misery. The feeling of fioppineas and weakness was discouraging; the weight of her skirts on her soft flesh was cruel. On the third day ehe crept into her corsets again and thought hard. COGITATION. She arrived at two definite conclusions. First, that she must devise some way of taking the drag of her skirts off her hips; second, that the muscles of her body had) become so weak and flabby from years of disuse that a few weeks of physical exercises were absolutely necessary before her freedom could become enjoyment. She thought some more. Then she wont out and bought a yard or two of wide elastic and some big safety pins. She brought these home and made suspenders of them, to go over her shoulders and bear all the weight of her clothes. CORSETS OFF AGAIN. Then the corsets came oft again, never to return. For three weeks she did phyeical exercises night and morning to tone up her muscles. Housework helped"" wonderfully, and then the tennis season came in, and the victory was won. For a month or more she looked undeniably floppy—she. was a plump little girl at any time, —but after that she straightened up wonderfully. The freed muscles worked back into tbeiivright places, and hardened into a healthy firmness that gave her a most pleasing carnage. She looked actually smaller round the waist and hips than when in corsets. P.KAN. OF . VICTORY. And then the delightful feeling of it! Do you know the joy of tennis and golf with ' no steel bar to contend against in stooping and swinging? Do you know the refreshing coolness of a summer spent without corsets? "Girls," she would say, "you don't know you're alive with these things on. I wouldn't wear them again for all the tea in China. "I shall river b<s fat and lumpy when I am old." she would add merrily, "for every bit of flesh will be in its natural place, not pushed into hideous bails and creases by corsets. Girls, take them off." - GIRLS, TAKE THEM OFF! The phrase is a good one. Pity it is that it cannot be sent echoing through the length and breadth of our country. Girls, take them pff ! We are a nCA r people, beginning -where older countries stop, not a,fraid, in our vigorous youth, to institute reforms where reform is needed. ». Would not this be one of Lhc .grandest reforms the world has ever hoard of? Would it not be a fine thing- for New Zealand if woman here broke the bonds of her worst slavery, choosing health instead of suffering for herself and he? posterity. A solondid race of mer and women might be raired in these beautiful islands if mothers would only cast away f«v ever ancient and dangerous traditional customs. PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CTRILDPvEN. SOCIETY'S ANNUAL UEFGRT. committee will present the following repoit at the annual me*tmg:— "In presenting the tenth annual report, the committee regrets to record that the work of the society is not decreasing. Apart f'om 44 enses which have been helped i:o n various sources through the kisd offices of the secretary, and in addition to many cases seeking advice on various ' matters, the cases dealt with by the committee for the year ending April 30, 1911, number 180, of which the following list gives a fair indication of the society's work: —Maintenance for wivcs,_ 6; maintenance for children, 12; leading am immoral life, 1; uncontrollable girls, 9; _ uncontrollable boys, 3; preventing injury tnrough firearms, 2; affiliation cases (in each of which the girl was a mother for the Eccond time), 6; girls with first illegitimate child, Cj wives ill-used by being

beaten, 12; trouble between parents and children, 6; adoptions, 3; mentally weak, 6; applications for separation between man and wife, 6, of which five were satisfactorily reconciled, leaving only on© separation effected; trouble between man and wife arranged, 7; neglected and deserted wives, 7; drunken husbands, 13; cases of neglected children, 8; court cases where parents failed to make due provision for tiheir offspring, 4; absconding husbands who have left their families dependent on the State, having gone to New South Wales, 3; special cases dealt with by the hon. solicitors, 14. In addition, there have been 20 cases of illegitimacy, in each of which the expense has been arranged by the societv, so that there has been no charge to'the State. Seeing that most of these cases, and of the other 12 referred to above, were cases of girls either under 16 or ud to a little over 17, the committee is of opinion that the age of consent should be raised to 18 years. This opinion is enforced by the fact that year by year there has been/ an increase of illegitimate births by mothers about the age of 16 or' 17. It is sad to coll attention to the fact that the cases of illegitimacy that have passed this year through the committee's hands (which does not cover by any means all such births) make a larger nmmber than in any former year—a total of 32 cases, of which girls of about 16 have predominated, and of which there are six cases of young girls mothers a second time. This opens up the grave question as to the need of £ome method of detention for girls Who fall. The legislation introduced by the Minister of Justice last session deserves the best commendation. As a society we should be especially gratified, as that legislation has proceeded on lines so often advocated by us. This legislation has made it more difficult for men to ill-treat their wives with impunity, and has provided mere effectively for the provision of families in the cases of absconders —this provision will be more effective when similar legislation has been passed in the Commonwealth. The committee expresses the hope that reciprocal arrangements will be effected between the Commonwealth and the Dominion in a short time for dealing with absconders. Seeing that the committee has had occasion to deal with casts of mentally defective girls, attention is again called to its _ formerly expressed ODinions that a home is needed for such girls on the lines of that for boys at Otekaike. The Government seems unaccountably slow in erecting this home, though money has been voted by Parliament for it. Taking the affiliation cases with the illegitimate birth cases, the committee would welcome any inquiry into scientific or medical methods of action which migbt check this increased birth rate of the unfit. The committee is gratified at the amount of useful work that has been done during the past year. This has been considerably due to the ready help of various societies, the hon. solicitors, the hon. treasurer (Dr Siedobsrg), and the police. To its secretary (Mrs Ai.seU) the committee extends its very cordial thanks for her great services, and hopes that her return to Dunedin will be a return in 1 renewed health for a woik for which she has special qualifications. _ The society expresses its sense of indebtedness to the ShawSavill and New Zealand Shipping Companies, which, through Mr <r. Ritchie's kind offices, made it possible for some of M,rs Ansell's friends to send her to England for a much-needed rest. The committee feels that this report would not be complete- if it failed to acknowkdas the invaluable services of its president (Canon Curzon-Sifrjrers). Only those who are connected with the society can rea.lise how much the committee owes and how much the public is indebted to the painstaking vigilance, energy, and enthusiasm which be brings to bear "upon the delicate and difficult business of this agency, and therefore to him also the committee records sincere thanks."