OUR BABIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16762, 11 June 1920, Page 7

OUR BABIES.

(By “Hygeia.”)

Published under the auspices of the Royal (N.Z.) Society for the Health of Women and Children.

“It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

New Plymouth: Blanket Nurse Md' Hams. Hon. Secretary, Mrs, Stuart Russell, Brougham Street, Now Plymouth, , TT Stratford: Blanket Nurse Wake. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. L. Kiera, Juliet Street. - r Hawera; Blanket Nurse Dix. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. M. J- Jansen, Box 22.

DR. TRDBY KING’S ADDRESS

(Continued.)

THE FAD LING BIRTH-RATE,

Dr. King referred to the falling birtli-rate ot the Empire. this- occurred Jicro on similar lines to those traced in England, though m eompaiisou with her wo were doing "ML The most important part, ot the society’s work was the training of mothers in their homo duties— especially tho nurture of their children,; Uio training of mothers who, in burn, would act as unselfish teachers themselves, spreading what they had learned lav and tvide. This diffusion of simple, safe, sound, authorativo domestic knowledge on ma - tors affecting the health ana Vigour or tho race was not only to the advantage of tho babies horn, bnt_ also gave the best prospect of increasing the size ot families by rendering the rearing of children as simple as possible, and making tho homo life agreeable and hispiting. , . The great necessity for the AngloSaxon race was large and healthy families ; it had been well said by Judge Chapman that New Zealand is the natural nursery of our race in the Pacific.

Some Startling Figures

Nothing could ho more startling, the doctor proceeded, than the investigation ho had made with regard to the birthrates of the different nationalities within the United States. Picking out families that numbered five or more children it was found that out of 100 marriages among people of the United States stock there were but nine or ten that produced families of this size; in tho case of the Scotch and English families in the States the rate was under 20 per cent.; in the case of French, German or Italian residents there it was over 30 per cent.; and in the case of Russians and Poles,, living in America, large families were found in the proportion of from 50 per cent, to GO per cent. No one could overlook the enormous significance of these figures. Dr. King described tho diminishing birth-rato of Scotland as a very grave portent, and England and the colonies wore not much hotter; he insisted that the most earnest thought and attention should bo devoted', to overcoming a tendency so ominous to the Anglo-Saxon race. In tho Hawaiian Islands (the centre of the Pacific, where tho West and East meet on coiVnnon ground) tho total population was about 220,00(1—made up of all nationalities.* There were 83.000 Japanese, and they actually provided 53 out of every 100 babies horn in these islands. Ho was speaking of over two years ago, and the excessive proportion of Japanese births had greatly increased since then. TRAINING IN HOME SCIENCE. With regard to America, he continued, nothing bearing collaterally on the Plunkot Society’s work impressed him as of more importance than tho sensible training given in their, best Schools of Domestic Science, from the standpoint of practical utility. They enabled their graduates to do great practical services to the community, while earning good livings for themselves as organisers and directors of cooking, catering and the whole dietetic provisioning of hospitals, hostels, restaurants, etc. He was particularly struck with their admirable catering in hospitals. Domestic science graduates wore paid from £4OO to £6OO a year, or more, as hospital dieticians, which included teaching the nurses. Work of this kind would give congenial occupation to a considerable number of girls in New Zealand, and would confer a great boon on hospital patients, and, indeed on tho whole community—besides preventing a great deal of waste. Tho Need to Know About Babies. Another aspect of domestic science which ought to be properly provided for, was real, practical experience and training in regard to the everyday needs of mother and child. This could not be learnt from mere books or lectures If young women spent three years at a university in obtaining their domestic science degree, they should surely devote throe months of that time to tho care and training of mother and child in an institution such as the Karitano Hospital. The Teaching of Doctors. With regard to an equally significant question, he was struck by tho importance attached in America to the teaching, of pediatrics. Throughout all the great universities of America one of the most important medical chairs was that of pediatrics. This was not so in England or New Zealand. We had not made dealing with infants a serious part of the'work of our students: but all over the world in the next few years professors of Pediatrics—“ The study of the nature, care, rearing and treatment of infants and young children”— would be insisted on in every medical school. In conclusion Dr. King briefly touched upon the condition of children in England, France, and Italy; and in Austria and Poland whose children had been chronically starved through tho Great War.