DOCTOR'S OPINION

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIII, Issue 6024, 23 September 1946, Page 7

DOCTOR'S OPINION

TAKING THEIR MEDICINE

CHILDREN PLUCKIER THAN GROWNUPS

A London doctor who has been battling with the influenza epidemic was asked by a correspondent the other day who, in his experience, are best at taking their medicine, children or adults. His answer was that children, provided they have- not been spoilt, are pluckier over their doses than many of his grown-up patients.

This view is borne out by the events in the first act of Peter Pan. Had not Mr Darling, after challenging little Michael over the taking of medicine, failed so miserably by pouring his own dose into the dog's drinking bowl, there would have been no unlawful intrusion into the Darling nursery that memorable evening. Of course, in that case there would have been no play.

Naturally, Mr Darling, in that brisk, delightfully unreasonable way of his, would, in the bitv..»rness of his defeat by Michael, hav<; declared that there is nothing to make a song about in the swallowing of a draught of medicine. So would our London doctor. But someone did make a song on the subject. Here it is: Good people all, who wish to see

A boy take medicine, look at me ! That was the very first poem written by a boy whom all the world was later to admire—Robert Browning.