PROTECTION OF INFANT LIFE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 6, 8 February 1908, Page 28

PROTECTION OF INFANT LIFE.

MEETING AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. ATTENDED BY THE PREMIER. SOME STRONG SPEECHES. A meeting was held at Government House on Saturday last to form a branch of the Infant Life Protection Society in Auckland. The meeting was convened by her Excellency Lady Plunket, and was largely attended. The main object of the society is to provide speci-ally-trained nurses, to give demonstrations in the proper feeding and treatment of infants, and to visit mothers when asked to do so. His Excellency the Governor presided. On the dais at the end of the great ballroom, in which the meeting was held, sat their Excellencies, Lord and Lady Plunket, the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, Drs. Bedford, Marsack, Roberton and Purdy, and Nurse Beswick. There was a very large attendance of representatives of the medical profession, clerics, leading citizens, mothers, nurses, and others. His Excellency, in opening the meeting, said he had no doubt that those present understood the question from what they had seen in the Press better than he could explain it. Miss Beswick had come from Dunedin to specially explain the objects of the Society for the Protection of Infant Life. His Excellency also read a telegram from the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, and a letter from Bishop Lenihan, expressing their interest and appreciation of the movement. “IN THE CRADLE LIES THE FUTURE.” His Excellency read a letter received from the Mayor, in which Mr. Myers, after apologising for his absence on account of his recent accident, said: “In the cradle lies the future, and there can be no doubt of the immense public importance of the objects the society has in view. The question of a milk supply is one to which I have devoted a good deal of attention, and it is at present being considered by the City Council. By licensing vendors of milk we have already been able to effect considerable improve, ments, and I hope we shall be able to accomplish something more later on. In any case, there is room for private and public action in this matter, and I shall be only too glad to do anything in my power to help any such society as that which you have been good enough to inaugurate here. I enclose cheque for £5 5/ as a small contribution from the Mayor and Mrs. Arthur Myers towards the funds.” THE SOCIETY'S OBJECTS. Her Excellency Lady Plunket then described the objects of the society as follows:— To encourage the bringing up of children by nature's methods; to disseminate accurate information on matters affecting the health of women and children by means of letters and pamphlets; to provide for the issue of humanised milk to the public; to provide and employ nurses, ready at any time to give advice and instruction to mothers in the home or elsewhere; to promote legislative reform in matters affecting the health of women and children; to co-operate with other organisations working for the same end. The society hoped to engage a trained nurse, said her Excellency, and to send her to Dunedin to Dr. Truby King’s home for infants, where she would augment her knowledge of infant feeding by the various excellent means there provided, and would be thoroughly trained in the treating of cow’s milk to resemble as closely as possible infant’s natural food. On the nurse's return to Auckland she would give lectures and give demonstrations on health and babies; she would visit any mother who invited her to do so; and would continue to give her advice and help as often as the case required. The humanised milk which was so strongly advocated by Dr ( Truby King and others for infants would be carefully prepared, and tha right quantity for each meal (for the 24 hours) would be correctly measured in separate bottles and sent out to the mothers. All the latter would then have to do would be to warm up the bottle before giving it to the baby., Messrs. Ambury and English ware ready to semi out this humanised milk. They had trained a nurse in Dunedin to prepare it and had said they would pay ner wages entirely. The milk prepared and delivered would, cost 4d. a pint, or if fetched

3d. The Committee hoped by means of tickets to enable those mothers who could not afford to pay so much to get the milk at a reduced price. Humanised milk could, of course, be prepared by private individuals in their homes, and the nurse would give demonstrations on its preparation so that those who were unable to get it from the dairy could make it themselves These demonstrations were not only, for those who had children under their eare. Much useful work could be done by individuals who would learn and spread the knowledge, teaching others in those districts where there were no epportunities of learning. Her Excellency then remarked that two objections to the scheme had been urged upon her. The first was that a mother’s instinct ought to tell her how to feed her baby, and that, therefore, it would be only in exceptional cases that the society’s nurse would be required, A mother’s instinct would go a long way if she brought up her baby by the laws of nature, but comparatively few were ready to do this and it was absurd to say that a mother’s instinct would be sufficient concerning artificial feeding, which was not a natural process. Common-sense might help her, but she needed a certain amount of knowledge as well, and besides this the society hoped to help many who had very little common-sense. The other objection which was put forward was that mothers were “touchy” of being offered advice. With this she quite agreed. “We are ‘touchy,’ rightly or wrongly,” said her Excellency. “But X wish to make it perfectly clear that this society does not interfere with mothers or force advice upon them. The nurse visits only where she is welcomed. It is clear from our experience in Dunedin and Christchurch that mothers eagerly avail themselves of the opportunity offered them, and I think we may be perfectly confident that Auckland mothers will be equally ready to ask for the nurse’s advice.” Lady Plunket, continuing, said that half an hour after Miss Beswick’s arrival in Auckland she received a telephone message from a mother at OtahuhU, asking her to visit her baby and show her how to prepare humanised milk. (Applause.) Miss Beswick had most kindly come all the way from Dunedin ■ —taking the time out of her hard-earned holiday—to help to give this branch a good start. She was prepared to give public demonstrations in different parts of the city, and would also be ready to visit any mother in her own home who might ask her to. Letters addressed to her at Government House would find her for the next w r eek. Her Excellency, in conclusion, said that whilst she had spoken of starting with one nurse, she was confident there was immediate work for two at least. And if tiie Auckland public gave as generous support to this society as they had done to so many other worthy objects, the committee would gladly begin their crusade for the little ones by sending down two nurses to receive the necessary training. She would be most grateful to any who would become members by subscribing ss. a year, and who would use their influence to get others to follow, their excellent example. (Applause.) THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST. The following donations and subscriptions were received:—Donations, their Excellencies the Governor and Lady Plunket, £2O; Mr. A. M. Myers, £5 55.; Mr. H. M. Clark, £5 55.; Dr. R. Stopford, £2 25.; Mrs. E. Pierce, £1 Is.; Mrs. J. Trevethick, 10s. 6d.; Anonymous donors, £8 125.—£42 15s. 6d. Members’ subscriptions: Mrs. W. Coleman, £2 25.; Dr. A. C. Purchas, £1 Is.; Dr N. McK. Grant, £1 Is.; Mrs S. Roberton, £1; Mrs. C. Coltman, 10s.; Mrs. J piark, 10s.; Mrs. H. Butler, 10s. Subscribers of 55.: Mrs. R. Guene, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. R. R. Hunt, Miss A. Chappell, Mrs. E. Firth, Canon Mae Murray, Mrs R. H. Macdonald, Mrs. H. W. Wilson Nurse L. Pownall, Mrs. E. A. Cain, Mrs M. J. Sheppard, Miss M. Margetts, Mrs. M. 0. Cook, Mrs. J. A. Runeiman, Mdle. E. Bouillon, Miss D. Peiper—£ 10.14 s Grand total, £53 9s. 6d. A NATION’S STRENGTH. Dr. Bedford said he was quite satisfied that it was full time that some such work as that proposed should be undertaken. However carefully, and however skilfully, infants’ food might be prepared, it could not possibly have the same good effect on the health of the child as the food intended by nature. It might be that by means of artificial feeding there would be something achieved Tn tha

matter of weight, but there would nevertheless be something that would always be lacking. It was not by weight that the Japanese defeated the Russians. Was ft not possible that the heathens they feared could teach them much in this matter of building up the strength of a nation? To preserve the strength of the yvhite race was a problem of immense importance, and the root of it was to be found in the humane and natural treatment of their children. THE PREMIER’S SPEECH. Sir Joseph Ward said that he had been much struck by the proposals outlined by her Excellency in the objects of the society. She struck the humane and practical side of the question, and the fact that the proposal had the imprimatur of her Excellency upon it would tend to create a large amount of public sympathy. He Knew of no more important subject than the preservation of infant life. Taking it from its financial or pecuniary point of view, they would realise its importance as a national question when he told them that every life was valued by the State at £250. He paid a tribute to the great work Dr. Truby King was doing in this direction, and the assistance Nurse beswick was lending him. Referring to the humanising of milk, the Premier said the question was one which had been before him on many occasions. Many developments were likely to arise, unless milk was treated in a thoroughly scientific way, and the whole problem was a very serious one. In Auckland the movement should receive the support it deserved. The Government had agreed to give contributions to all cities taking up this great work. Dunedin and Christchurch both received Government aid. He believed the movement was one demanding the assistance of the Government. "In conclusion,” added Sir Joseph, “I wish to say that anything I can do to co-operate with the movement in Auckland will be done most readily and cheerfully.” (Applause.) THE BABY WHICH ISN’T WANTED. Dr. Roberton said he had been struck by the extremely large scope of Lady Plunket’s proposals. During the past 20 years he had had a full opportunity for studying the subject, and he was satisfied that there was a very urgent need for work of the kind in Auckland. He had seen many attempts by private individuals to cope with the problem of preserving infant life, but very little success had attended their efforts, and it had devolved in the long run on the Government to do what was necessary. In Auckland, he said, we have reached a stage where the Public Health Department does much to see that the food supplied to the people is pure and good. To Dr. Truby King was due the thanks of citizens that this movement had received an impetus. It was not due to the impurity of the milk that children suffered from digestive complaints, but to the fact that the milk was not given in a proper form. Humanised milk was easily digested when approximated to mother’s milk, and by placing such milk at the disposal of infants much would be achieved. There were other important issues involved in the question of the protection of infant life. Medical men were all acquainted with the struggles in many a home, more particularly in the homes of the poor. The arrival of the first baby was welcomed joyfully, but when there was a second, a third, and a fourth, the difficulties increased, and the mother’s life became a constant drag. It was becoming increasingly difficult for mothers to obtain help in times of necessity. (Applause.) The lot of many mothers was such that the baby did not have a fair show. He knew of cases where children were sacrificed because of the fact that no help was available. Perhaps it would be possible to overcome this difficulty in the future by bringing it within the scope of the Society for the Protection of Infant Life. The doctor said he wished mothers often received less advice—of a kind. It often happened that the (young wife received the advice of mothers, aunts, and neighbours until she became bewildered, and when the doctor came along he would find her acting on the advice of some neighbour, with natural food substituted by artificial food. Again, many of the children which arrived were labelled “not wanted.” Sdch eases were not rare. Children were brought into the hospitals, and received attention, only to return again, showing signs of lack of care. He had seen sufficient to cause him to think

it would be advisable to relieve some parents of responsibility for the sake of the child. The appointment of special nurses. Dr. Roberton concluded, would obviate the necessity for much of the infant work at present brought into the hospitals. THE PLEASURE-SEEKING WOMAN. Dr. Marsack, in commencing his remarks, said that because New Zealand was a young country, and because her centres were not overcrowded, the infant mortality was comparatively low, but increased mortality throughout the civilised world was to a great extent due to the fact that modern woman was so largely a slave to pleasure-seeking and society attractions that she considered it almost a crime to let her functions of bearing children and rearing them naturally have full sway. All honour, he said, was due to the women —the oldfashioned women —who still had sense enough to comprehend that their highest functions consist in maternity, and their greatest pleasures in nursing their babies, and rearing them as God intended. Instincts are hereditary, and the one or two artificially brought up children of the modern woman, who has no time for her offspring, if they escape being puny specimens of humanity both physically and mentally, are almost certain to be imbued with the selfishness of their mothers, and if they be girls, act as their mothers acted before them. The civilised world must soon wake up to this fact, said the doctor, or God help the nations which compose it. Thousands of children, Dr. Marsack continued, die annually from starvation, not because they do not get enough to eat, but because they get improper food, which they are unable to digest. The chances of life of the artificially reared infant are very low, as compared with those of the naturally reared infant. Any woman, he said, who can nurse her child, but will not, takes the risk of being morally guilty of homlicide by omission. It is consequently the duty of any mother who from force of circumstances is unable to suckle her offspring to make sure of the safest am! best methods of bringing it up artificially. The object of this is that mothers should be properly instructed. He ventured to prophecy the ultimate outcome of the meeting would be to considerably reduce the infant mortality of Auckland. He asked them to study the subject as if their very lives depended upon it. Further lie would suggest that lectures and demonstrations be arranged as a practical way of imparting the requisite knowledge, and propagating it efficiently. The splendid work of the Health Department, he said, meant far more than most people realised. It did its duty fearlessly and courteously, and besides being more often hampered in its work than otherwise, received more kicks than ha’pence. (Applause.)