THE NEW SOLARIUM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 11

THE NEW SOLARIUM.

TRIBUTE OP REMEMBRANCE,'

[Br IMOGEN,*]

At no time, probably, does the apparent futility of life beat upoti one harder than when recovering from u severe illness. The threads that had all but slipped from slack Angers 'have onco again to bo picked up to tako their place in the bewildering <tanglo fashioned for us by Fate, and sometimes tho prospect is almost.more than can bo borne. Slack in mind, nerveless in body, utterly inert, all that is wished for is peace, sunshine, and' beauty—precious' gifts that fortunately can bo obtained almost anywhero in this country of ours. In all Wellington there can be found few places moro wreathed by sunsliino than the' Convalescent Home at Oriental Bay. Prom tho first moment in the morning,' when the sun gleams above the 'hilltops to the moment of its setting behind the western slopes, the homo sleeps in tho full glory of its blaze, provided that the sky is clear. Placed halfway up tfie hillside, with no obstruction of trees, houses, or intervening shoulder, it commands a beautiful outlook across the liarbour to the blue mountains beyond. Wellington is at its best seen from this half-way house, and the waterfront, looming through tho often misty distance, with its big square buildings and delicate tracery of masts and spars, from the vessels in port, is enhanced and glorified. Sunshine, beauty, and peact— they are to bo found hero beyond all question. To lis quiescent, to "absorb" in every nerve and .in every sense, is for the timo being all that can be wished for from 'life.

In 1881 a movement was started by a number of ladies, among them being Mrs. W. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Robinsop, Mrs. .Joseph Nathan, Mrs. A. K. Newman, as well as Dr. Gillon, to start a fund for tho benefit of convalescents from tho hospital. A series of entertainments. were given—bazaars, a ball, and other gaieties —and tho nucleus of the endowment of the present homo camo into existence. A meeting was called in ISS3, presided over by tho Countess of Glasgow, to discuss plans for' the building which is in existence to-day, and in ISM the home was formally opened by tho then Governor (the Enrlot Glasgow.), The Countess of Glasgow, during the time that she was in New Zealand, took tho keenest interest in thp Home, and, to-day, her photograph hahgs on tho wall in the patients' sitting-room. According to 'the present arrangement, each guinea subscriber to the Homo for the year can secure the entrance of a convalescent patient who. remains therel for a fortnight free . of charge. After that period, if they , wish to stay on, tho'patient pays tho sum of fifteen shillings a',week. As a matter of fact, anyone can.go and stay : at the, Home when in need of rest or when recovering from sickness, without 1 being nominated by a subscriber, provide that 'they pay the usual fees charged by nursing homes. Tho usual Government subsidy, is paid to the trustees for the upkeep of their institution, and it is under Government inspection. Quite a 1 number of the patients come from the .Newtown Hospital; There are eighteen or nineteen rooms in tho building, and it is placed in the midst of two acres of land, presented by Mr. Douglas M 'Lean, of. Hawke's Bay, at the time that, the project,, was first initiated- Tho matron, is Miss.Oakley, who is regarded by the trus-' tees and officers as being inyaluablo to them and to the.institution. .

The Solarium, which Is to be opened this ' afternoon by . Mrs. Moorhouse, was, tho inspiration, of ono or two friends of' the lnte ilrs. A; K. Newman; who houghr that tho privilege of commemorating, her splendid public-spiriteduess in this _ way .would be eagerly seized. by her friends and by many who had worked with her for public good." A committee of ladies to deal with the financial and'other aspects of tho proposed memorial wa£ at once formed, and it is needless to say that they .met with tho Keenest of appreciative encouragement in their ' inis? sion. < This committee was formed by' Mrs. Moorhouse, Mrs. Dawson,' Mrs. 0. Earle, Mrs. J. Darling (hon. secretary), and Mrs. E, Hndlield (honi-treasurer), .who took Miss K. ■ Fitzherbert's _ place when'the latter. Jeftrtor.'iEnglandcinnFeh-! ruary last. At first it Was. thought that only members Of the. lieform League 6hould be approached in tho matter, but so many, people outside-the league -wished . to subscribe,. that this barrier'wits 'removed, and all who wished to do so. contributed to the memorial.

No invalid could wish for a pleasanter I or more restful place to bask in than tho solarium at the Convalescent Home. Delightfully irregular in shape, it is panelled with red pine on one wall, while all the rest-is oi intersecting 'windows/low and'wide, from which ■ can be seen the "Ci harbour ai.cl mountains. There is no bar to the sun-' shine, which would ilood the room on sunny days, and,' as the ceiling is inlet wtlii asbestos, the heat will never bo what is termed "overpowering." The room is quite large, and all the furniture is made, Df oak,, the Morris chairs in particular making strong appeals to one's sense of comfort,; to say nothing of tho aesthetic sense. ' Tho. mnid|3 will ■ no doubt appreciate the deccrlitie floor, which bans annoying . corners and cracks, from- which dust is apt to rise long after sweeping. Adjacent to tho solarium is the smoking-room, visible proof that the pipe, Wj beloved oi men, is not one o£ the luxuries forbidden them hero.. The greatest satisfaction ■. of their .work has been expressed to Mr. Mair, the architect, and to Mr.-Lowery, tho builder, who have carried out theso- additions to the Convalescent Home.

Hanging upon the pannellcd wall in the solatium is a large oak-framed photograph of the late Mrs. A. K. Newman, presented by her sisters, Mrs. C. Johnston ami Mrs. F.'M. Fitzgerald, and it seems peculiarly appropriate that such a place as this should havo been added to the homo in her name, as she was one of the original founders. In tho entranco hall has been placed a tablet bearing a simple inscription of remembrance and dedication to her memory.

SOCIETY WEDDING. /■ LOIiD ROCKSAVAGE AND MISS SYBIL •; " SASSOON. By Telegraph—Prees Association—Copyrisrht. ("Times"—Sydnoy "Sun" Special Cables. London, August 7. Lord Rocksavago was married to Miss Sybil Sassoon at the Registry Office in the Buckingham Palaco liond. Precautions to secure secrecy were taken, a few of the couple's relatives being informed. The couplo drove to the registry by a roundabout way, but a battalion, of photographers were awaiting them, and snapshotted tho, party of six as they were hurrying into the building. Tho bride, aged 28, received .£25,000 a year and ,£50,000 on her wedding day. [The Earlof Kocksavago was born in ■1883. He served in South Africa. The Mass Sassoon .mentioned is, presumably, the only daughter of Mr. Meyer Sassoon, brother of Sir Jacob Sassoon-, the wellknown Indian merchant and banker.] ■ DRYNESS AND HARSHNESS OF SKIN. ' ; The principal causo. of this condition pi the slain lies generally in the' insufficiency of its secretions, and is brought about br tho use of soap containing too much alkali, preparations containing iargo proportions of alcohol, and face creams containing an excess of glycerine.. All of these have extraordinary moistureabsorbing properties. Aitmospheric conditions, such as frost, dry, sharp winds and excessive heat, . exert the eamo influence. Now, whan, the skin is so deficient in natural lubricants, the complexion must necessarily suffer; therefore, you must sirpply the skin with a substance essentially similar to' its natural lubricant. ' Valazo Skin Food Will restore tho softness, suppleness and humidity of tho skin, will remove pimples, blotches, freckles, sunburn, tan, and sallowness, and make and keep the skin clear,' fresh and healthy. Price, 4s. a.nd 7s. Novena Cerate is 'an emollient skincleanser without, the' use of soap and water. When the skin is. delioate. or sensitive, or intolerant of soap and water, it should ■bo cleansed with the Novena Cerate. The result will bo a delightful skin bath, and . tho' skin will bo much .more refreshed than if washed with soap ami water—2s, and !!s. Cd. Valaze Skin Tonic tones and braces tho skin, prevents wrinkles, and in every way makes for henlthfulness. It is astringent, nnihVeptic, soothing, and healing, a tonic in the truest sense of tho word—3s. Od. All chemists, or .diTeot, post free, from Mile. Helena Ilubinstein. 53 Maison Valaze, Strand Arcade. Auckland,—Advt,

advises the patient with regard to diet, clothing, fresh air, the free use of water both for drinking and bathing, rest recreation, and work; but sho never goes ,beyond these natural safeguards or trespasses on medical preserves further than to prescribe caseara internally or to strap an aching- back for external relief. At every visit Bhe takes the blood pressureand makes certain tests, in tho hope of thus warding off cases of possible eclampsia. The statistics of the blood pressure a ™ kept on carefully-prepared charts. The result of the care in reducing tho number of cases frhich show symptoms of threatened eclampsia, or Bright's disease, as tha layman calls it, has been most gratifying. During the first year of this work the percentage of cases which showed symptoms of this dreaded disease was 10.2 per cent, .of tli9 total number cared for. Tho second year, this was reduced to 4.8 pe,r. cent.,_ and last year to only 1.7 per cent.—this with a constantly increasing number, of patients. "In tho first year there were two miscarriages, only one in the second, and none in the past two years. The percentage of still birtks has been 2.7 per cent., as against a usual average of 3.8 per cent, where no pre-natal care has been given. The babies born prematnrely are also relatively few—2.l per cent, of the total number.. Counting even these premature infanta, tho average birth weight of the babies for the full term of the work has been 71b. 850z., and for the last year 71b. 150 7.. "Tho patients are under the oare of tho committee on an average between two and . three months, but many have been cared for six or seven 'month®, and in ono case for tho full (;erm. ■ This length of caro is wliat is most ; desired, for ■ it enables the patients, both mother and baby, to avoid, many, pitfalls. "The patients are almost without exception grateful for tho help and comfort given them by the nurses' visits, and many' of them are thoroughly appreciative. . . . Often she has a chance to correct old wives' tales poured into tho ears of her patients by neighbours whoso qualifications ?or the position of adviser are like-those of the old woman found by a'Settlemo.it nurse feeding her grand-child-by hanging a fountain syringe full of inilk from tho mantelpiece, and putting the end.of the tube in the baby's mouth -as it lay in its basket on the floor. This process had the result' that should have been expected, and to the nurse's objections the grandmother replied: 'Shouldn't I know how to feed a baby; haven't I ouried fourteen?' . "Besides this work amongst tho mothers