OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 56

OUR BABIES.

By

Hygeia.

Published under the auspices r< the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and ehlldren. “it Is w’ser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance a! the bottom.” FOOD REFORMS FOR SCHOOLS. Tho following article was published nearly six years ago, and we regret to say that, so far, there lias been little attempt at reform—the old practices still obtain, and there is as ranch need as ever to try to drive the point home. In a previous article we pointed out how unfortunate it was that children attending Kindergartens should actually be led and trained to form wrong habits by being given food between the normal nreal-times as a part of the ordinary routine of these institutions. \\ e regret that similar practices obtam. in boarding-schools for older children. . Customs of this kind were excusable and moeed only natural when the processes and requirements of digestion were unknown. Non, however, that physiological investigations have proved conclusively that clear intej \ a Is of from four to five hours between meals afford the best conditions for the thorough digestion and assimilation of food there is not,-a particle of justification left tor allowing milk or “pieces” between meals. I can imagine that, at this stage, some ot my readers will be exclaiming to themselves: n .. l f , fau ’ at ~ve should be exacting in wdh . A® , l,f Vm d h yS’ cni '’ discipline Y-th regard to children, seeing that we seb-of a l n‘T r ! Ul,g w nd afteraoo « tea our. se.ies, an,, feel ns rf we could hardly "et along wituout them—that we need some pick-me-up to sustain and reanimate us tHid feel much Letter for it GTth *' ““ ki "f" , °' , b St mini of";!; , y° un o m quite (he otlier way. Most of s recognjse that these habits are mere ai t.floral indulgences, which interfere wfth If If is ■ , le /t°W3, just as the Japanese used In S T ‘ ? C tea ceremonfes J But toSK «» school ■Xe s ,;n,% t r» stimulants between mcK L pve is simple, nutritious, easily diiestib e e a a'owmg child without fresh “sum sec,, ‘ in the ’Mv’ii®'^ i $L b r s X% C-C”w) 0 diking. of it supplies the i n . of coal J &e i bun I hs e Mg^ !ful b lt •»* seedy to bo burnt £ S° ™ l “»ne, & ALPINE CLIMBERS ruchArts U of' h t 0 he lla veL 0t rTi"** '™° sl physiology would 'gaV'nih XT" m minutes’ walk with an Alpine climber Ask tiie pioneers ■u'seuit’ oV''t"oVtb.,i" l ,».'"S"' ■g? ma P “ "■ a -i “» SIS Contrast this position with that of the mother who thinks her child needs “, uj taming with a glass of milk and a biscuit bo:ore he can be allowed to go o or a run before breakfast, or the schoolmistress to k’mtlhun Umt T »omethh,« lwed-f-’l m ?r n " ,ot ' V y>' Uroir 8 o’clock breakfast and their 1 o'clock dinner. Again, I can imagine the teacher persistently coming back to the point that whatever one may say the food dees somehow (liter into t heir composition and nourish them, because wiThm five minutes of the taking of it the children are obviously brightened up and benefited. (To be Continued.) HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Ihe ordinary monthly meeting of the committee of the Dunedin branch of tho Koval New Zealand Society for the Health of \\ oiner. and Children was held in the Blanket looms was held last Friday; present —Mesdame» Johnston (in the chair), Theomiu, Cunninghanre, Isaacs, Arundel,

Solomon, O’Neill, Kelly, Carmalt Jones, Jos. iVi’Gcorge, Mandeno, Ansell-llodsoii, Callaway, Sister Nora, the Misses Keid, Joachim, a»<l the secretary. Apologies for absence were received from Mesdames J. C. M‘George, .Moore, Aiken, Jackson, M‘Kibbon, and Rattray The Matron of the Karit.ine-Harris Hospital reported for month ended May 31. — Patients in hospital on April 30, 21 ; jiatients admitted during the month, 26; patients discharged during month of May, 28; deaths, 1; greatest number of patients in residence on any one day, 21 ; patients in hospital on May 31, 13. 1 regret to report the death of one baby, admitted to hospital on May 21 in a dying condition due to malnutrition. The baby died 17 hours after admission. The resident fester-mother has been a great help in saving the lives of two babies, admitted in an advanced state ot starvation, who are now improving steadily, iwo other babies, one being a half-pound below its birth weight at nine weeks, and one only one pound and a-quarter over its birch weight at nine weeks, have both gained one pound and a-half in one month. All babies in hospital are progressing well. ITuirkct nurses in training 10, Karitane nurses in training 10. Nurses Greener and Fester commenced the course of Plunket training during the month, and Nurses M. Lmith and G. .Smith commenced the course of Karitane training. Plunket Nurses Manning, V, iliiams, MA\ hirter, Eowron, and iVPKibbin, and Karitane Nurses Eld red and T hompson completed their course of training. Sister Buisson has taken the place on the hospital staff of Sister Jones, who returned to Australia. Sister Sturgeon has sent in her resignation as sister in charge of nurseries, on account of illhealth. Gifts were received during the month from Mesdames Theomin, Moore, and Rattray, and the Westport Goal Company. The annual meeting of the Dunedin branch of the society was arranged to be held in the Council Chambers on Thursday, June 23. The Rev. A. Camcion, Chancellor of the Olago University, will preside, and Dr D. W. Carmalt Jones will deliver an address entitled “Mouth Breathing.” Copies of the new edition of the Government pamphlet “The Expectant Mother and Baby’s First Month,” recently revised by Dr Truby King, with a fore ward by the lion. C. J. Parr, have just come to hand, and can be obtained from the registrar and from the Plunket nurses.