PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELFARE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 82, Issue 305, 24 December 1938, Page 6

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELFARE

MURDER IN THE MASS—4

Dear People, -A crime has been committed —or rather, a series of crimes, says Lord Peter Wimsey, the world’s- maste. sleuth, wearing out the pattern on the Prime Minister’s hearthrug ".th uti restless pacings up and dev. n. .cu, sir have placed th’s important case in my hands, and the whole world is watching my efforts to solve the mystery. Now after considering the many clues I have discovered, as well a the whole of the evidence accumulated by my colleague, DetectiveInspector Trench, I have made certain deductions. Before giving them in full, may I ask you a few lead.ng questions ?” An Inside Job? “With all the pleasure in the world!” replies the Prime Minister, springing to the task with alacrity not to say abandon. “Here in New Zealand you have a general medical service, a public health service, a school hygiene service, a dental service, a Plunket service and a Home Science service which are without parallel throughout the world," begins Lord Peter. “Yet these combined services, excellent as they undoubtedly are, have not been able to guard the people's health to the extent we should like to see. %'he immediate problem therefore is to find just where they have failed. There must be some chink in the national health-armour through which lhe murderer has crept, in order to do his hellish work upon the bodies of his victims. Both Scotland Yard and the League of Nations, which have been studying this problem for some years past, have already proclaimed their conclusion that this chink occurs in the people’s ignorance of the true nature of nutrition. Preventive Physics! “The advance in knowledge made possible by the great Rutherfordian school of physics during the past thirty years has facilitated the newer outlook on nutrition,” continues the famous detective. “The full process of nutrition consists of eating the protective foods; drinking pure liquids; exercising daily to an extent sufficient to aid the functions of digestion, assimilation and elimination; and the taking of adequate rest and sleep in uncontaminated air. It therefore appears of the first Importance that the “people of New Zealand ought to initiate a national campaign of practical education in regard to this full process of nutrition,— physical education taking merely its proper place as nutrition’s great assistant, but an assistant only. Here I am quoting from Sir Robert McCarrison’s sworn statement on page 690 of our evidence against the suspect, the murderous Mai. Nutrition. Physical Drill for Infants? “The people of New Zealand will shortly try out a couple of ‘new’ health schemes: first, that of national treatment insurance, covering earlier medical diagnosis and treatment of disease; second, that of physical drill extention. Let us in theory apply these two schemes to those cases of health-murder which are cited by the Minister of Health as well as by a number of eminent medical men. First of all, sir, do you seriously consider that (a) national treatment insurance or (b) physical drill extention will either prevent or cure the fiendish effects of the onset of Mai. Nutrition in infants in arms?” “Mmmmmm, let me see,” murmurs the Prime Minister, putting on his considering cap. “No. I cannot see that any direct benficial result

will accrue in the case of these particular victims of Mai. Nutrition’s operations." Physical Drill for Toddlers? “And here is my second leading question,” resumes Lord Peter. “Do you suppose that (a) national treatment insurance or (b) physical drill extension will either prevent or cure Mai. Nutrition’s murderous work in the tender little bodies of our preschool toddlers, of whom some eighty per cent annually suffer from ailments of one kind and another, as witness the evidence of the Minister of Health on the page just mentioned?’’ i “Again I must answer in the negative,” acknowledges the Prime Mini ister. “I must also make it plain that II realise, personally, that our Health ! Camps, although splendid, are merely ! palliatives. This is especially my view jsince Dr. Mary Wilson has found that 'some forty per cent of the children she has examined for camp-life arc urgently in need of a full healthcourse, including correct nutrition. But now, at last, we are reaching the school-stage itself. Surely you will now be able to point to the advantages that will accrue from the extention of our present physical education I scheme?” | Twenty-five years’ Trial. ' Lord Peter looks doubtful.. “Scotland Yard and the League of .Nations state definitely on page 728 iof our pile of evidence against Mai. Nutrition that it is more than a century since popular methods of physi- * cal training made their appearJance in British schools and in public i physical education demonstrations, etc. Of course, physical exercise for I health and beauty is a much older idea; but we will not go into that just I now. So far as New Zealand is conjeerned, a comprehensive scheme of physical education was made part of i the ordinary school routine more than a quarter of a century ago. In 1912, New Zealand adopted the system of physical education based on the syllabus of the British Board of Education, and the number of teachers who had received instruction in physical education up to July, 1914, was 2,200." Nutrition’s Great Assistant! “But even in matters of physical education, the old order changeth, yielding place to new,” interposes the Prime Minister with a Tennysonian smile. “As you say,” agrees Lord Peter. "The old order changeth, yielding place to nutritional prevention of illhealth. The physical drill scheme which was introduced to the New Zealand school children of twenty-five ! years ago (and who, do not forget, i are filling our hospitals today) Included: i (1) The theory and practice of exercise; (2) A definite series of progressive daily exercises in physical drill • and correct methods of breathing; , (3) Personal hygiene (but alas! mot nutrition); (4) A course of organised games; (5) Swimming, life-saving and resuscitation drill; (6) Corrective exercises for children with physical deformities.” Yours as ever,

(To be continued.)