NUTRITION AND GROWTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9736, 31 December 1909, Page 4

NUTRITION AND GROWTH.

r. The fbiiowHij; extract from an importknt^roxtase^ii children published this >fc*r^by Dr Keriey, » noted physician and jporofessor of diseases of children in -Sew i^j- should be of great interest ■ ip;!tfto.;»adMJi:~r/ ; ; ■r^e'futuiamental principles in the J^e of the young of all animals are growth and development. This statement applies to- the young of the • lower g^^pia -jut wall as. to man. Nature ku . nzed definite > laws, in accord2nw with tjrhich this growth 1 and. der^elppment proceed. The type of animal produced "depends in no -small degree &oa»^fch4 way/ we follow out Nature's Tcfiferfedity »v of course, an, important fcpffif. Knt : environment counts for £§Bjtelisp j by??"l3lygeia ' ' ' nodjiicir i&iianipnpOj does nofc mean rtiereNfe -iiifs i^ surroundings ' ' ' t)f the : - .child> l^ti includes *very material and^mraatifiaa^ tnfiuence whicH is > brougiit to fcHjf nfr'liiwii f rrtm the time of his birth, ' Spwnlrajfbea- -witti the hereditary ' or Sbor»- tefldehcies with which he enters 4&6 #6rld. tThua food is an enrefealarity of habits as to fyedmg, action on /bowelsj sleeping, ffl&mg;, ct tftking : exercise are all, fiSwly, speaking, conditions of environfcentjCjHifft -r*A-.: much as are' climate, b«Bn aqri, «ttnligh*| housing^ etc.-. • yonuag' of jthe lower animals or tf insn may possess all that can be. dettra^ in v the -yay of heredity, but if the «arly management of life is faulty, nil WultisjM-oduced which .is, almost otrieaDj.to fail short of the normal. On tfcft other hand, another, without the totee&ts of a good heredity, when given y»*.;»dv»iit«Bes of faithful scientmc Csre, inay produce an' adult decidealy BOperior in all respects to those more fortunate in birth.. I have seen this time and again toth in toe lower animals and in man. From my earliest recollection I have carefully latched the growth and development of Animals. By observing care as to feeding, housing, ventilation, cleanliexercise, I have seen animals wliich. promised but" little at birth.decelop into perfect ..mature specitteni /of "that kind. v During tKe ' pjfts> twenty years I have lfeen intimately associated with thoufl^nds'bTinfants and growing children in in hospital, and in outpiSiwnt work. The possibilities of prop%'growth under good management when little was to he expected, judging the original/ condition of the patient^ have been impressed upon me re-

oeatedly. ■ * ' „ , >*I»nio. by -"Hygeia":— Dr Kerley ttight weH say, as '.an eminent physician said some time .ago to a sympathetic aitf^pSreciatiTehß^dience at a meeting cg^the jJritiah Association : — " Environijfont can knock Heredity into a cocked Stf"'' Itigossential for every mother tit fealiso not only how much 'good can W» done by a. favourable environment, mtv what infinite and irreparable harm din he done by a bad environment. The 7 4umnry, the long tube feeder,, urisuit■fijfe^food, impure air, lack of exercise, i&regular habits, eto. ? can all or any pf tj&em pervert and bring to naught the i heredity for the individual in one IJPE CHILD -A FUTURE CITIZEN. iflHie child' --is here through no choice of Ids own. He is to, have a future. His lj »alth, vigour, powefs of resistance, and nsefiihiess as a citizen ii^ ; determined in no small degree by. I »e I natuTe of his care during th© ni*Bt fifteen years of his life. He has a right t# demand that such care be given him < h will be conducive at least to. a sound, lisll-developed body, and this should be* oftr first Jthought and object regarding hjun. Ctmfiider for a moment the number of -occupations, other than the army «f»d fhe nary, which " require physical ftfcness before a candidate is accepted. (Sjjnripetitio is keen at the ' present time, ■lid will be keener in the future. Em|3oyers of men' and women, whether in Ae. pjfice, the factory, or on the farm, c#nnbt afford to employ the' physically lH»k. '••.■■•.■ t ; NUTRmON STANDS FIRST, i The most, important , factor in the flftaking of .men and women is nutrition. It requires no great power of reason- j itig : tp appreciate the fact that the child who is fed on suitable food will become ai more vigorous, better-developed adult ■ tfiaiU" one who,' beginning with his birth a&d continuing throughout the entii-e piriod •of his^ growth, is given only food possessing indifferent tissue-building ' qualities Next in importance to F'>A«!*"-.Wrt r oliow«i{; hi c'o-e- succession are fjesh air, ileniiltne«S, ehtorful s-un'i undines, an<J healthful amujeinents, tugethfr with «»n; absence of work of an , arduous nature^ whether in school or at service.. That the offspring of man suffers more from nutritional errors due to the .l»ck : of suitable care than do the young <js.v£he lower animals -is lamsutable,