THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 33

THE PLUNKET SOCIETY.

GENERAL CONFERENCE. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S TRIBUTE. WELLINGTON, August 28. The general conference of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (the Plunket Society was opened to-day bv the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) before an attendance of about 250 delegates from all parts of the Dominion. The conference will extend over four days. The Mayor (Mr G. A. Troup) welcomed the delegates. The Governor-General said he yielded to no one in his interest in the society, and one would be a very stupid, dull, and unimaginative person if one did not recognise the enormous importance of the society and the good which it had done not only for the Dominion, but also for the Empire and the world at large. The annual report showed that the infantile mortality up to March 31, 1927, was the lowest on record—namely, 38.74 per 1000. Twenty years ago, when the society was started, the rate was 88.68 per 1000. He noticed from the report of the Directorgeneral of Health that the infantile mortality rate in the first month was 25.83 out of the full percentage of 38.74. Attention was drawn to the fact that while Christchurch had the highest infantile mortality rate, it had the lowest maternal mortality rate. The benefits of the Plunket Society extended not only throughout New Zealand, but also throughout the Empire and the world. One wondered whether New Zealand had yet reached the low water mark in the prevention of infantile mortality. „ The Minister ~of- Health (Mr J. A. Young) remarked that the present meeting was perhaps the most historic one since the foundation of the society. The great reduction in infantile mortality had been largely due to Sir Truby King and those associated with him. The organisation was engaged in preventive medicine, and he emphasised the paramount importance of that branch of medicine. The Minister mentioned that this year Parliament ■would vote £25,000. Sir Truby King paid a warm tribute to the work done by the late Sir John Hoskiug, not only in assisting at the foundation of the Plunket Society, but also up to the last years of his life. He also acknowledged the great interest which his Excellency had always taken in the activities of the society. He spoke of the keen interest taken by their Majesties the King and Queen in maternal and infant welfare. Sir Truby King strongly emphasised the importance of specialisation in obstetrics, a branch of medicine which he held to be of the highest importance—indeed, it was of paramount importance to the human race. The annual report states that during the year ended March 31, 1928, there were 54,700 babies and older children under the care of the Plunket nurses' throughout the Dominion. The number of visits paid to homes by Plunket nurses was 182,587, and the number of visits of mothers and children to ’ the various Plunket rooms was 478,937. There were 16,483 new cases recorded for the year, :nd of these new cases 13,932 were either wholly or partly breast-fed. x It is gratifying to note the steady increase in the percentage of new cases which are nurtured in the natural way. During the year 1925-26 the percentage was 81.72, in 1926-27 it rose to 83.54, while for the year 1927-28 it was 84.47. The- average infantile death r-ate for the Dominion for the year 1927 was 38.74 per 1000 living births. The rates for the urban areas of ,the four main centres were: Auckland 37.67, Wellington 43.53, Christchurch 59.18, Dunedin 42.51. The average number of deaths of infants under one month of age during the year 1927 for the Dominion was 25.83 per 1000 live

births. . The figures furnished by the Government Statistician show that the average maternal mortality in New Zeator tbe year ended December 31, 1927, was 4.91 per 1000 births. The maternal mortality per 1000 births for the urban areas of each of the four main ® e " trc ® v^ a ? : , Auckl »nd 7.87, Wellington Christchurch 1.40, Dunedin 5.22, It Was considered that as facilities for special classes were provided in Dunedin a remit -iat a refresher course for Plunket nurses should include a special course °P.A he feedln S and care of the pre-school cnila was not necessary. • S i lr ,i T, l rb T y K, ins ’ in re Pb’ to a remit, said that Karilac would be put on the general market in time, but not vet. He asked the delegates to be patient. Ihe conference was averse to giving a few delegates the right to vote as the equivalent of the full voting strength of a province. It was thought that to pernut tins would militate against the attendance of branch members. Great good was done through these meetings.

POST-NATAL TREATMENT. h August 29. At the Plunket Society s conference to“aY the following remit was considered:— , at as the Government is giving much carenil thought and consideration to the subject of the health of mother and child just now, w e would like to suggest that post-natal treatment in State maternity hospitals and homes should be given a more important place in the programme; and that a stay of three weeks in a State hospital or home after a confinement should be made the rule as much as possible and at the same cost to the mother as two weeks would be. This we consider would be of untold benefit to the mother and child, and would form an important link in the chain of Plunket work.

Truby King expressed sympathy with the idea, but stated that three weeks in hospital was not always beneficial. If they could have what was given in the Kantane homes for the third week—• cheerful surroundings, with training for the mother and child—it would be ideal. The Minister of Health (Mr J. A. Young) said that the Government was fully alive to the importance of providing in maternity hospitals every facility for those wishing to stay three weeks; but the stay of the mother was regulated on the medical officer’s advice. The fact that maternal and infantile mortality was larger in the country, had been the cause °f the Government encouraging the hospital boards to establish pre-natal clinics and also to establish maternity wards in country hospitals, available for mothers irotn the country. These faced a difficulty in that they could not be registered as training schools for midwives because they could not get the requisite number of cases. The Minister pointed out that the hospitals were paid for—half bv the Government and half by the local‘body rates, and any reduction in the charge to a .R‘?* meant more expense to the public. He expressed sympathy with the feeling of the remit, which was passed accordingly. THE PRIME MINISTER'S COMPLIMENT. WELLINGTON, August*3l. A fine tribute to the work of the Plunket Society was paid by the Prime Minister (Mr J. G. Coates) this afternoon, when the delegates waited upon him urging that they should be given an opportunity next week to place before him the decisions of the conference. “ I want to assure you I am very interested in your work,” said Mr Coates, in replying. “ I want to congratulate you on coming to Wellington, and giving your time gratuitously in the interests of the society. I think it is a matter for congratulation that we have so many people who are really interested in what is probably one of the finest and most important movements ever started in this country. To some extent, no doubt, we have been very fortunate in having a man like Sir Truby King, but with all due respect to him—and I think I know him fairly well—nothing would have been achieved had it not been for the ready co-operation of the women of this country.” Mr Coates added that New Zealand had every reason to be proud of its women and of the wonderful results that had been achieved in an effort to reduce infantile mortality. He assured the members of the deputation that he would be only too pleased to meet them some time next week.