AID FOR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 638, 15 October 1909, Page 8

AID FOR BABIES.

■ :V;; WOMEN IN"CONFERENCE. '" " ■.';.■: •■;;;:. '■;:>' isdpiETrs'AiMS.-' ;-p : ; V W■ 1 i The first; conforefice of the'delegates.;representing 'the', branches -of- the. Society, for'the .PrPmotibn 'bf'the Health'. pf Wbcden -andChildreny'established; tHrbughout the Dominion/iwasVpened' yesterday : moming : in 'a com-'mittierobm-of the Toivn Hall. l ' All the'dele-Bate3-,.wefo.women,,.with. : t.ho.',ostpption,'.pf Dr. Trjlby:'King,.'.who'presided. ; .-•;■-• .'".'■• '■.'•". Oi:■.■....■:':°'. Lady Plunket's'Speocli.'j.v --.'v ;;]pady"Plnhlcet:,,;who 'pponed'.. the .'conference, ■■spbke.'.bf 'the.' groat lencpurafjemorit afforded .by' • the. ''■progress; of, -the; society.. : . In.; two/years • nine ■ !centres ..had .been ■ formed', , 'and In; : -the -larger ■o'itiefs' the; cpmmittees s h'a'd ; been-' bbliged'to ;en-'. ; gage'.and; train''second; nurses, .'as the/number 'of cases- caHiiig for attention-had beeii/.far, 'more;than-one'nurse-could 'oPpe.-with, vThe ipronlptness which inothersl'haye shown' in -asking- for tte'.semces'.and:advice of'the'"Plunk'et .Nurse's'! , ''must'be 'a deep "sitisf action to": the 'founder and 'hardest' worker: in '• the -movement; .'Dr. >Truby .King—whose' skill,. energy,. and en■thusiasm' in the cause' of the-mothers'and,their infants was now known and. appreciated frpin one end of'New'Zealand to the other. Speakiiiig of tho: qualifications necessary for a Pluniket nurse, Lady she'would ! like to. urge that, in -considering the ■.nurses isalaries.'the'deleg.ites'must not losesight of the 'fact ■'•that .'"they :-mnst have, the very best ma--terial, and thorefore; pay .a ' good • price. ';A Plunket nurse 'must :be 'specially robable, 'as she -was 'not under ;, constant • supervision.-■'■ She "ninsthave unusual rtact; she' must bs an-ten-. thusiast; and she -must be. ready to work Jon" ■hours,, and in .all;, sorts .of, weather. .In :fact, 'she vmust 'be a -particularly'.'superior ;woman. '.inSconclu'sion, Lady Plunket..expressed .hfer ■satisfactidn'that'so .many delegates 'had-shown their ::enthusiam in the, .cause /by. journeying ..here,for'the:cpn'ferenco, and she'took the;opportunity of resigning her'position 'as'.wesi:dent' as she, was.shortly .leaving.:.these .'Shores. She-Was'sure that.it was.' unnecessary former .to'.mention'the'deep. Tegret she. felt -at parting .with a' work , which; she- lovedybut-:she assured :them that her ■'connectip'n .with-the ■movement 'would always, be;a pride: tocher,; and shehoped never to.lbso/touch with tho;,sbciety.. . ' - -- :

; ,; i ■Remarks- by Dp. Truby King.,. V •The chairman expressed'the'society's groat ■regretl at; lady PlunketV resignation.': Her Excellency-hail'explained .'what', were sbme/of the leading-objects and;;aims of the society, iand'.lie -did not' think that/it' was'necessary ;for ,hini to.-add much,'if anything, in that direction. It might be more .'profitable'.if ihe. •were to say a few 'woftls .concerning what-the society was' npt, rather .'than what, it; was, • feeing-hew'perversely a .small' 'section of r>the : .publid* -still' -'continued , .; , to '/misrepresent': from tiiae' .what ,: was'being' dbne.-'-l'-Eeferring, to ;the societyV ; :Dr.''/Eijig 'said;its■nani*. i coityeyed;at once 'the.-brpad aim ■ which' , thef members'/had'.in' view. ■ '"It;■was ;'a health' society, , founded 'to. deal Especially;"".with '.the admitted..ignorance, and ''disabilities' :bf'.-wo-men'in'matters vitally' cbncernirig'thenv their progeny, and the-' race generally, . It was; a ■society on lines'of mutual' helpfulness for.' se"ouring -the health--of 'the rising/generation from the:start, aad hota/spciety-.for the treatment of disease."which/came "within, the ;province 'i6f."' the' • 'physicians 'However, "he / continiieS,;"provideaababy' could no't'be/fed 1 . by ■'its imother, ''the-.sbciety .would certainly "advo--*cate-"'the; ;use'of food' 'which approabhed - 'as ■nearly" \ as ■ possible '\to ; ' nature., • ■ Humanised Scow's milk was desirable, riot: alone for what' were>"called artificially-fed, babies, but';also 'for -!all"babies-.for a'time after they,were weaned." If was' hot a : modern.fad;,. It was.:a'conservative 'attemptl'to try.to'get''mothers'-.■ to';cohi' . ; fonri'tq' ; .the'lkwV;of' r uatureras closely , as pos-; isible, and ,'tb .cease.'from .further .ignorant arid' hopeless experimentation '.with' their offspring,. So fa'r' as'- the-' feeding' 6f '■ young infants. ..Was. concerned .-.the'. ordinary: .-use : .of cow's;-milk", 'cane ; sug'ar, : and barley .water was bad'enough,'■ :but the extensive use i'of conderised milk 'and patent' foods 'wiio ;even worse. ~ The -.'Society did''not pander. t-;'ic«; as some persons most foolishly sUpposria. vnor.-:did '.it make; things 'more easy for. thu.vicious:: The• vicious-wo-. !:man-wanted to getrid-of her child. She.de-. • sired 'it ■' to die or '■ she .'was' careless' whether: it ; died ,-heal.thy ,or unhealthy- : Hie— she : abariaoned ■'it.;\Ttte'.society.- - held . that as , practically every was born healthy, .it: 'should be maintained /'healthy,: everi-'ffom, an', recridomio' point of. view: - Even-.,the ' so-called, 'children did. not die.'fdr;the'most • part under maltreatnicntV'They-lived on,'and "becaiue miserable; stiinted specimens. -.■;'-, Utiay. tended to. develop into, charges, on the.: coin , -' 'munity, .and. were •iviinenace-.t'o society.. ; The nurses: attended/the mothers .and babies of _all classes, without discrimination. .-Their mission !was -an.educative 'one; arid education t was not : for: one ,class -."more than -'another, -not /'more ' ; for:the poor and ignorant than:for^the.ignor■ant :and welt-t0d0.;:..';.' ,'.■.•: --■ ; , .Nothing could be narrower- than the outlook ■of'those who.imagined that;the needs of could be met by merely- Bupplying \them with ;the' right, kind :6f "food.' Of' a(m6st egual' imgortarice we're' outing'an'd'surilight; cool, fresh owing'air day arid night,;proper urirestrictive clothing,' a sufficiency, of warmth'-.without ex'cess, regular-.: habHs,.:,espeolally" in; regard..;to sleeping,-feeding,"^exercising,--bathing, -etc.— 'and in. fact, all .those. simple but. essential; re-' quirements 'which. are '.almoet uniyorsally. "attainable,' but which' the modern, mother, unless specially guided, almost .always fails -to provide in one direotion 'br'-ahpther'. - The>'ivomari' : wh6, suckleeher- baby, ;but meglects' everything-else, is a' more, "unnatural" '.mother -than -she who; .failing in--the r one. respect,'.does 'her best;>to make ..up ia'.otKer -"dijeeetitttts. \:; ,'■ -.-. '■;■ ~;... '■■;{:>!.;■; ~ IgrioranceVits. Cruelty. '~•:.■•.'•■ ■':'■■ •"it'was not'a , society, resumed-Dr. Kirig,. for ■replacing - : the'. : doctdr 'in , the home, but'for 'enabling the doctor's advice to be rationally 'carried out. /In : the- : past it been ; impps--sible-for the-(JoctoE-to ensure that..thii-'adyice he gave; in .'respect.to. .tho: feeding arid':care,' of 'the ( baby would'' -the.'h'ome. ■.No<v,'' : 'h'e'-ha;d ;no ; "gfouttd: for .'anxiety' , 'on'"thie .'score. This was'.assured,by'.the Plunket'nurses, '■and their .ajd. .was'-.being largely, .invoked, .jit was 'not,a society.;for iprotectiiig infant life-in. .the.-sense .of i.'safeguarding.'phildren-against. , , inr 'tentiiJiial;' cruelty:'or. 'otimihal- acts. , "Another la'dmirabl'e societyV'attended t'oVUh'ese' matters. :Th'e.'cr.Uelty ; .the" society .■ wfts 'concerned.'was'.the- cruelty of ..ignorance,-which was infinitely. more 'expensive and -rflore., disas■trous- than..". the .•■deliberate''-'cruelty. of.. 'iriinal.;.'■'.'■"'',-.":':•■■■■'"■■■■■■■ '■•.■■'■.' '. ':■•-'■ '■■'■."■: v ~-~-'

•' .The" •. outlook v . extended beyqiid :the babies, , tii such' .'.questions ' as...the:>bnriging-up ,arid : -ed\ic4tioh'of' ,, girls with •:a.iview, to .the. , 'futuro.i'esiiqtasibilitic's -of .parenthood!;-It'.took 'cpgnisanc'e of ; "the.: proper .education,, .training, .and , .'care,of.the'-rising, generation ffpm- this 'point;'of : '.yieff <;^s\:weU.-as" : the preparation-:of ''tlie■': expectant .'•tapther/.f'qrv maternity, 'i 'It' 'didjallijt could'to .ensure that; she (should .boffltted' .for.Vthe'.proper. :bearin'g.and ynnrture; of ler child, '■ and"it. spared ;no -paics to put ■ her :.on •the ..right'track '• in-.the.'.siniplest and -..most practical way. _-,;:.•.,,'...;,..... ~;■■: ••-.-.