OUR BABIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18786, 21 May 1923, Page 7

OUR BABIES

’ ' (By Hygeia.) ' Published under the auspices ’ of the Royal New Zealand So’l ciety 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.” PLUNKET WORK IN PALESTINE. Perhaps a few of our readers know that the Jews in New Zealand sent two nurses (specially trained in the care of babies) to Palestine. The question naturally arose as to where the nurses should be trained—many people holding that they should be New Zealanders, sent from New Zealand. Eventually it was decided to send nurses from London who had been trained at the Mothercraft Training Centre at Earl’s Court, which was founded by Dr. Truby King, and is run in New Zealand lines. The reasons for this step were: (1) The nurses chosen had been in touch with the large Jewish population in London and knew something of the Yiddish language. (2) Palestine is nearer London, and the expenses of transit are therefore much smaller. Two nurses left England for Palestine just over a year ago, and naturally we are interested to hear how they are getting on. i ' OPENING OF THE CENTRE. Yesterday. (June 7, (1922) (ho New Zealand Plunket Centre, Jaffa. Palestine, was officially opened by Miss Zold in the presence, of the Mayor and several officials of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, the local committee and other influential residents. The company expressed their surprise and pleasure at the appearance of the Centre, which certainly loons unexpectedly cool and fresh when coming in from the heat of the sua and sand. The rooms are cream washed, woodwork and ceilings painted blue, floor tiled, and furniture and curtains white, curtains white. The work is progressing slowly, but, we think, surely, The country is new to preventive work does not readily understand the needs of a clinic giving neither medicine nor fod. Doctors here are innumerable, and we have the added disadvantage of working on a system quite unknown to them. Up-to-date we have not met one who knew anything of the system, and only one who wished to know. We are endeavouring to spread the idea of our work to the mothers through the mid-wives. We have seen many who have promised their support, and we are now organising a special meeting for them in order to explain our work and the need for their co-operation. Our greatest hope, of course, is in the work itself, and we have definitely succeeded in restoring the breast milk in five cases, while in five others progress is satisfactory. THE SEPTEMBER REPORT (1922) This month Dr. Zlocisti has commenced to hold weekly consultations at our clinic. Fortunately among our mothers there is a large percentage of young women with their first babies. When there is no superstitious grandmother in the rear, it is easy to train

these mothers in the way they should go. Some of the superstitions one meets with would be laughable if they were not affecting the well-being of tiny babies. Our massage cases have again been successful, and it is pleasing to hear that some of the sceptical doctors of Jaffa and Tel Aviv are now! admitting the value of our methods. • We find that, the babies of Palestine compare fairly well with those of England. A large proportion of those, who attend our clinic are of Russian or Polish parents. Among these there is a marked absence of rickets, due to doubt to our abund ance of sunshine and clear air. We are now visiting our mothers. This is no easy task, as most of the streets have no names, and none of them have numbers. Many of the people still live in tents or barracks on the sand dunes, and sometimes, after wandering from one to another. I one is unsuccessful in tracing the I family. L - is i