OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3415, 29 August 1919, Page 58

OUR BABIES.

By Htobia

Publlehed under tne auspice* ci the Revs I New Zealand Stclsty tar tha Health el Women find Children. "It Is wlaer te put up t lenee at the lep oi a preclplo* than ta maintain a* ambulance ai ti.e bottem."

It is with regret that we record the death of Mrs F. H. Carr, president of the Central Council of the Society and president of the Dxuiedin Branch. Some months ago Mrs Carr was granted extended leave of absence owing; to illness. We were expecting her to return well arid strong, and it was a great shock to hear that she had passed away. Mrs Carr was one of the founders of the Society, and ito first honorary secretary. From the beginning she took the keenest interest in the work, and its transcendent importance impressed her more and more as the jears went by. Every part and aspect of the Society's mission appealed to Mrs Carr strongly—she gave herself most ungrudgingly to the furtherance of its aims and objects, and the Central Council will, always remember with gratitude, her clearness of vision and her steadfast championship of the cause of right in all that pertained to the working and constitution of the Society. From the early days of our work Mrs Carr took, a very special interest in the welfare of the children boarded out in homes licensed by the State. Indeed, she was instrumental in rescuing some of the first inmites of the Karitane Hospital from home 3 which she visited, and where she saw that the babies were not being properly cared for. Twelve years ago she formed part of a deputation to the Ministers in Wellington, which resulted in the transference of the care of these children from the Po'ice_ Department to the ' Department of Educaiion. Since then Mrs Carr has never neglected an opportunity of bringing before the successive Ministers of Education the prime necessity of having the Inspectors of Licensed Homes thoroughly _ trained in all that is essential for the rearing of children, especially with regard to feeding and general hygiene. Only a few days before her death Mrs Carr drew the attention of the Central Council to the case of an infant whose death in a Licensed Home ipf Auckland was found by ,the Coroner to be due to improper feeding. The loss sustained by the Society through Mrs Carr's-untimely death is great indeed, but her influence remains, and the memory of her unselfish devotion will stimulate us all to work harder than ever before for the cause which she had so much at heart. THE CANNES CONFERENCE. Last week we published a memorandum by Mr Herry P. Davison,_ chairman Committee of Red Cross Societies, consisting of representatives of the Red Cross Societies of France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States. In it Mr Davison stated that— It is the plan of the Committee of Red Cross Societies to proceed immediately to the "definite formulation of a plan to be submitted to the world Red Cross Congress (to be held at Geneva 30 days after the declaration of peace), and for that purpose it will establish working headquarters at Cannes, France. To this point will be invited the world's leading experts in public health, tubercuIbsis, hygiene, and sanitation and child welfare. This was the origin of the Cannes Conference, and many leading authorities travelled from America to France for the sole purpose of being present to- help with their experience and advice. Dr Emile Roux, Director of the Pasteur Institute, Paris, presided over the meetings, and among the delegates were many eminent scientists and authorities from the Allied nations. INTERVIEW WITH DR RC4JX. The following translation of the report of an interview accorded by Professor Roux to the editor of Le Petit Nicois will give our readers some idea of the object of the Conference. In answer to questions Professor Roux said: We are met together to set forth a programme concerning the prevention of disease and the development of hygiene. By earnestly carrying out this programme the Red Cross Societies will continue in peace time the good work they did during the war. We not know if there will be n Red Cross Congress, nor when there will be one. We are not "even a preparatory assembly of the Red Cross. No society has delegated us. We are experts, technical advisers, whom the-American Red Cross has called together to establish a plan of action, which will be submitted afterwards to the various national Red Cross Societies. Wo have agreed to the principle of founding a central bureau which will keep Red Cross Societies of the various countries in constant touch with one another. This bureau will invite the national Rad Cross Societies (continuing their efforts to fight against disease, and it will help them to teach hygiene. Finally, it is not so much a question of introducing new medical methods as of popularising: actual methods, of educating the publio in health matters. Such will be. the role of the Rod Cross Societies in- peace, and they will become the best helpers of governments—for social hygiene is, and remains, a function of the Government. The example has been given during the war by the American Rod, Cross, ingenious and fruitful activities against tuoerculosis and for the hygiene of infancy you know of. The Professor's last words, awakening an old subject of great interest to the editor, cause him to ask: "Is noc the hygiene of infancy the fundamental auestion with which the Conferenc3 will" assuredly occupy itself?" "There is no doubt of it," replied Professor Roux. "A special section is set up for this end, and none of ouh colleagues FORGET THAT ON IT DEPENDS THIS FUTURE OF OUR RACE AND OF HUMANITY.'' The English-speaking delegates on the Infant Welftre section were Dr L. Emmet Hall. New York; Dr Samuel Hamil, Philadelphia Dr Talbot Boston; Dr Palmer Lucas. San Francisco; Sir Arthur Neusholme, lately medical adviser to the Local Government Board, London: Professor Kenwood, London University; Dr Truby King. DR KING'S IMPRESSIONS. The following extracts give Dr Truby King's personal impressions of the Con-

I Terence, and a summary .of a resolution passed unammously by all the delegates: "The International Red Cross Conference which delegates wcra invited to attend from America and thu various Allied countries, proved a most remarkable and interesting gathering. Infant Welfare for the British Empire was represented by Sir Arthur Ncusholme, Professor Kenwood, and myself. From the time we lelt London till our return, a month later, everything was arranged by *he Red Cross Authorities—travelling expenses, accommodation, etc., and the. wealthy Americans, who were the main motive power located at Cannes in beautiful villas, certainly gave us a very royal time, placing motor cars at our disposal and doing more in the way of entertainment than you can imagine. We were at Cannes nearly thrae weeks, living. at the Carlton Hotel, whicit is charming and we paid visits- to Nice, Monte Carlo, Mentone, Grasse, St. Raphael, Frejus, so that the whole Riviera was very familiar before we left. "We could not have been there at a better time, the weather was glorious, the sky clear for the most part, and the waters of the Mediterranean were more superbly blue and purple than I had ever seen them. Cannes is certainly the gem of the Riviera, and one can imagine nothing more perfectly beautiful than effects when the low sunlight streams across the Esterelle mountains, and begins to set in glorious schemes of colour and effect, carrying with the state of cloud and sky. "However, it was not for seascape, or landscape, or scenery, or outings that we were assembled, and our time was occupied during ths day attending the meetings o£ the main Conference or of some of the sections, etc. . . -•• 'J "It was wonderful to come in close daily contact with such a number of men representing the medical profession, drawn from half a dozen nations, and we all- felt that the experience was unique and, in its way, unprecedented. I suppose that in all we numbered about 50 delegates, selected to deal - with Public Health, Child Welfare, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and Venereal Diseases, and when the final resolutions and conclusions came to be drawn up, the representatives of all the Sections concurred in the view that—after dealing with the immediate and pressing needs of the moment, arising' out of famine, starvation, and typhus, especially in Poland, Austria, the Balkans, and Russia—THE MOST HELPFUL, BENEFICENT, and t.umanitabian project the red cros9 could back and promote would be. the furtherance of enlightenment and training throughout the world as rb-, gards the hygiene of mother and Child. "When Roux was on the eve of leaving for Paris, he was interviewed by a French editor, who had been present throughout the Congress. [Part of this interview is given above.] His nicture of Roux is- quite faithful and masterly- Roux impressed all of us in the same way. He was quite the most interesting and striking personality among a company embracing many men of world-wide distinction. He is old and very frail,- but there is something wonderfully attractive in his personality, quite _ apart from his mental qualities and _ scientific achievements. He won the affectionate regard of the whole Congress. He takes a great interest in Child Welfare, and his feeling in this connection is well expressed in his answer to the question with regard to the attitude of the Conference to Infant hygiene: ' None of us forget that on it depends the future of our race and .or humanity.' " \. '