The Waipa Post. Printed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1925. TRUBY KING AND HIS WORK.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1689, 21 November 1925, Page 4

The Waipa Post. Printed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1925. TRUBY KING AND HIS WORK.

NEW ZEALA.NIDERS rightly hold Sir Frederick Tru'by King in high esteem, for they realise that he ha 9 achieved world-wide fame by his inauguration of the system of raising healthy babies under what is known as the Plunket system, a term that had its origin in the' fact that Lord Plunket, during his term as Governor of 'New Zealand, gave valued assistance to the struggling band of pioneers who had accepted Dr Tru'by King's methods and. doctrine. The originator of the Plunket Society appears to be held in Australia in almost as equally high esteem as in our own land, judging (by an editorial in the Melbourne 'Herald of recent date. It reads: " Our Health Conference has come and gone, and one man stands out, attracting, compelling, alone. Truby King, one of the world's benefactors, a New Zealander by birth and (education, takes his place along side another New Zealander, Ernest Rutherford, as one "of the Empire's great men. His life and work point a moral as well as adorn a tale. Just an ' asylum doctor,' keen beyond his sphere, thoughtful to a degree, cautious but enterprising, 'feeling the call to service, wondering why civilisation brings death instead of life, he sought the cause first in plants and the, lower animals, where, except by violence or so-called accident, it remains natural to be healthy. For fifteen years, like another Darwin, he observed, tested, and compared until he satisfied himself that at the root of all health is obedience and hehind all disease is transgressing the laws of health. Healthy parentage mieans healthy offspring, and healthy development means the maximum of healthy lives. As Newton extended the fall of an apple to the law of gravitation, so Truby King extended just living as Nature intended one to live from plants and animals to mothers and .babies. Just a simple, common thing! Yes; it is the commonplace that has highest value and takes the greatest seeing. 'He had spent some ■fifteen yiears in preparation. He was to spend another decade in facing opposition—opposition from those who ought to have known and led the Avay, but who, as usual, ridiculed and obstructed. For weary years it was stones for the reformer until at last, being determined, as well as able, he won through to success. .New Zealand, for long against him, came round to him. Best of all—for his system was founded on the xerities—results grew better and better, more and more extraordinary, until the world took interest —and the battle was won. Great Britain, tar-seeing as she is conservative, called him home. Fairbairn, of St. Thomas' 'HospUal, matrons of " Bart's," the Edinburgh infirmary, rising intellects all round came, saw, and enthusiastically followed. Within a brief space the Government sent him to the great postwar conference at Cannes to represent England in matters of child welfare. The United States sent two medical men personally to study the system in the land of its birth, adopted the principles, and are broadcasting the methods. Canada holds him in similar esteem, and in .South Africa, India, China, in fact, everywhere, he is now accepted as the world's authority. And what a record since he started in 1907! In New Zealand the death rate of infants under twelve months has fallen to 40 per 1000 —the lowest in the world—saving thousands of innocent lives. The death rate from infantile diarrhoea has fallen from over 20 to under 4, and in his own city of Dunedin not one baby has died from that cause for the last three years. He even dreams of a world in which " no country in the British Empire will be satisfied with a death rate over 25. to 30 per 1000," and Where that babyhood scourge summer diarrhoea will disappear as a cause of infant death. And this is only the obvious phase. For the essence of his system is not so much to save those who die unnecessarily, but to secure the maximum development of all who live. Consummating such a task, What irecognition can 'be too great? And yet, it is achievement and not recognition that is the main thing. "We in Australia cry for a white Australia. Our 'best immigrant ijs the .native J borm. And.yet in the four years after the war we lost more babies than there were adults killed in the war, and a similar number of adults died before they had reached their prime. And we in Vic- ; tor ia—our own great little State—have the highest infantile mortality of all, and our diarrhoeal rate has been sta- , tionary at 15 for the last 10 years. ' Honour to the man who has done so • much for humanity. For ourselves there is one clear trumpet call: 'Go thou and do likewise.' The mothers are clamorous, the babies .are crying, the community is aroused, the philanthropic are ready, workers are enthusiastic and active—one thing only is lacking: the system, uniform, authoritative, and expert, wharehy practically every 'mother is within reach of the necessary knowledge and assistance

knows that sie wants it, and goes out to get it. Incidentally, it may te men-

tioned that it is Truby King who is the New Zealnd Director-General of Child Welfare, and that the New Zealand Government supports the system with a yearly grant of £30,000, as against our £SOOO. Let our profound appreciation of the man extend to the rivalling of his results."