OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 26 April 1913, Page 11

OUR BABIES.

[Br HYGEIA,]

Published under the auspices of the Society'for tho 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." ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES. Dunedin.—Plunket Nurso Laing. Tel. 1136. Plunkot Nurse M'Laren. Tel. 2814. Office of tho Society, Post Office Building, Liverpool Street, Dunedin. Office hours, daily (except Saturday and Sunday), from 3 to 4 p.m. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Joseph H'George, 51 London Street. Tel. 1737. Christchureh.—Plunket Nurses Ellig, Hansard, and Kilgour. Offioe of the Society, Chancery Lane. Office hours, 2 to 8 p.m. daily (except Sunday). Hon. Secretary, Mrs. H. Pyne, Bealey Avenue. Tel. 285. Wellington.—Plunket Nurse Morgan; assistant, Nurse Mackintosh. Society's Room, 86 Vivian Street. Tel. 2425. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. M'Vicar, 27 Brougham Street, City. Tel. 2642. Auckland. —Plunket Nurses Chappell and Morgan. Tel. 851. Office of the Society, 2 Chancery Street. Tel. 829. Office hours, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon. Seoretary, Mrs. W. H. Parkas, Marinoto, Symonds Street. Tel. 240. V Napier.—Plunket Nurso Donald, Marine Parade. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Hoctor Smith. \ Timaru—Plunket Nurse Bowie. Office of the' Society, Sophia Street. Tel. 314. Office hours, 3.30 to 4.30 p.m.; Saturday, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon. hecretary, Mr. •Ernest Howden. Invercargill.—Plunket Nurse O Shea, Allen's Hall, Kelvin Street. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Cruickshank, Gala Street. Hastings (Hawke's Bay).—Plunket Nurse Pureed. Office of the Society," at Mr. Bates's Pharmacy. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. T. W. Lewis. Tel 285. . . ■ Wanganui District.—Travelling Plunket Nurse Edmonstone. Secretary,. Miss New'oome.- ' - - _ t , , Oamaru District.—Travelling Plunket Nurso Donniston. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Haines, Bank of New Zealand. Dannevirke—Plunket Nurse Wright. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Bickford, Bank of New Zealand. Asliburton,—Plunket Nurse Kilgour. Hon. Secretary, Miss M. Moore, corner of Cass and Peter Streets. Society's Baby Hospital, Karitane Harris Hospital, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin. Te1..1985. Matron, Miss Campbell. Demonstrations on points of interest to mothers are given by the Matron every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30 to 3.30.

j PLUNKET NURSES' SERVICES FREE. | THE SOCIETY'S BOOK. ' The Society's little book, entitled "What Baby Needs," can be obtained .from,- the Matron, Karitane Harris Hospital', the Plunket nurses, the honorary secretaries, and the leading booksellers throughout the Dominion. Price, Gd.; posted, 7d. , , ' Besides.the above centres, where Plunket Nurses are already at work, branches of the society have been formed at the following places Alexandra Mayfield • Amborley r , Milton Akaroa Mosfiel • Balolutha Napier Blackball Naseby Blenheim ; Nelson Bluff • • Onmaru Cambridge Orepuki Clyde Otautau , Ci'omwell Patea . Dargavillc. Picton DenDiston . / | "Eltham Richmond Geraldine Riverton , Gisborne Roxburgh Gore Rotonm : | , Granity Stratford ' ' Greymoiil.li Sumner , Hamilton Tapanui Hawera - Taihape , Hek-nsviU" Taumarunui Heriot Temukn Hokitika To Awainutu Inglewood Te Kuiti. Kaikoura Tharries Kaiapoi Waihi Lawrence Waipawa Manaia Wakefield Masterton Westport Marton- Whangarei Mataura Winton

DUNEDIN ANNUAL REPORT,

As the sixth annual report of the Central Council of tho Society for the Health of Women and Children, just issued, gives 'a summary of the work of tho society since its initiation, we are sure it will interest our readers; No doubt many of you are already members of tho Society; if you arc not, we trust you will joint at once. Wo are certain you will agree that every. patriotic citizen ought to take part in our Health Mission. Tho Honorary Secretaries of the local branches will be (dad to receive the names and subscriptions of those wishing to join. , Besides subscribing to the funds, we trust that members will take a personal interest in : the Society's Mission and try to acauire and spread the simple fundamental, knowledge' which, if acted upon, makes all the difference between health and ill-health in so many homes.

Expansion of the Society.—-It is difficult to realise that the small association .which was inaugurated six years ago in Dunedin has grown to such'large proportions. You,may remember that the society was started to continue and extend a health mission among mothers and babies which had been instituted privately by ' Dr. Truby King some 18 months before. This primary work, was carru>d out with the aid of one nurse and the co-operation of the Sisters of the various churches, to whom lectures and demonstrations had been given, and who tcok the knowledgo thus acquired into the homes of the poor which they visited, while the services of the nurse were. availed of by all classes in the community. Besides visiting homes, the ,nurse_ bad carried out the modification of milk in an accurate and systematic way where artificial feeding was indispensable. This was rendered possible by tho public-spirited co-opera-tion of the Taien and Peninsula Dairy Company. ■.Foundation of Baby Hospital and "Our Babies" Column.—Almost immediately after the formation of the Society for the Promotion of the Health' of Women and Children, as it was then called, the Karitane Hospital was started in a small seaside cottage, and the weekly "Our Babies" column,' which has appeared regularly ever since, was first published in the "Otago Witness." Formation of Brances;—A few months later a branch society was founded in Christchurch. Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Plunket became greatly interested in tho work, and the Governor issued a small pamphlet setting forth the necessity for such a mission, and appealing to all classes to join the socicty: "For the sake of women and children, for the advancement of the Dominion, and for tho honour of the Empire." Lady Plunket threw herself whole-heartedly into the work, showing her intense intorest by lecturing, demonstrating, and personally helping the' mothers and babies. Her Excellency was instrumental in founding all the original branches of the society in the North Island—namely, Wellington, Auckland, Napier, and New Plymouth. Later, Timaru and Invercargill formed branches, making eight in all—four in the North Island and four in tho South Island. i Gift of Karitano Harris Hospital.— Meantime the ICaritane Hospital had been moved to a house and grounds at Anderson's Bay which the society rented. Three years ago, through the generosity of Mr. Wolf Harris, of London, the hospital and grounds became your property. This munificent gift added greatly to the usefulness of the society, and your committee was able -to extend the buildings, thus pro : vitijng accommodation for nursing mothers with their babies and also room for a larger number of nurses for training. The report will bo continued next week.