SPINE CURVATURE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1987, 18 February 1914, Page 2

SPINE CURVATURE.

<By "Dr. Sylvia.")

THE ENBJIY. OF CHILDREN

_ The frwjuoncy witli which spinal e«rvahiro is met with anicnig scfiool children is beginning to attract a considerable smount of attfliition aiuoiig people, who realise the evils to 'health which result from it, raid remedial measures have been brought injbo being' by tlio Government authorities ..to eenibat an. appaa-ehtly incrgaslug defonnity (for it undoubtedly is a deformity) a'mong sahooi filiildrun. Like all other tilings, however, the introduction of a new system of physical culture takes time, and iis uoiie but experts can possibly handle Cisses of cnrviiture, nrogress in this difiiction must necessarily bp slow, since experts are as y,ot. but few in numbers.

Prevention is undoubtedly better than . cu.ro, and, if 'parents, realised how easily, tliis.evil is induced,-they would not ■ do the tilings they are constantly doing with tlieir children. AVho lias not, ■ over and over again, seen mothers lift little ones out of a tram car by one arm only, so' that the whole weight of an often very plump, heavy, little bsdy is hanging upon-it alone. The marvel is that th& ami has-net been dislocated, 'tint the mothers toy be pnrfeetiy sure that they have at least done their best to throw Uμ; little frame out of poiss— qnilo an easy matter—and ■so created the tendency to curvature, which needs kit little encouragement- to develop into evident deformity. Another tiling that is frcijutiutlj- seen m tlie streets is a tiny child, perhaps about' five or six years old, almost galloping along hesidfi an'cMer person" (Far" too often its 'mother, judging from appearances) in its effort tg Iwnp pace with her, or else being dragged along with an arm raised high abeva its shoulder by its iniI&iiking gnardinn. who apparently has mil: the faintest Mc-a of the Ha nil she is doing to -the child. It is only necessary to try the experience upoii oneself, and the twist'to tlie other side of the body that is tli.e result will soon 1«> felt. Mothers; are not the oidy evildoers in this respcri. Qmto " 'often fathot-s with their small sons, are soon j walking nlonp; holding tho rliilcj's anil I above-his sheiilder in the 'ciidcnv-.! oiir to tiiako extremes meet. It is I f|t«to comfortable for thu man. but it |, is :v pernicious thing for tlie child. If it Is illegal to.Catty aWowl with its head hanging down, it plffifit to he illegal to carry a child so that its head : is lower than Its foot. And yet that was to be'seen the other tlaj- in' the stfepti Imagine a child., a pliimp, fifltWooded infant. of about six or seven months old dangling froin its mother's arm by a shawl looped round' its middle in such A way that its legs Imng dawn on one side of. it, and its tmhappy little shoulders and hontl (already pur- , irle.from Hie rusji of blq'ocl 't\\s\t iesiiitcd from its position) on .the ''other. Anyone would know, tiiat th.t; pressure iibpii' tlie digestive; organs alone was .diincofous, and could easily cause ijJ.Miidjcabh; "mischief. •'• ;Witli eTcr.v' stop the- mother toolc (she was certainly wheeling a peramlmktof) the l'mhsppy. litt-lo human basket swayed and 'swung and worked its arms, ..and doubtless 'dimly wolitlerod- what hrexnjjc-aMy. .?s.s ' fate had st-ut it Wo "Melfrti ifefjef. ' After , sueh a sifeu?; :o1 t.'arrying their children pnittisett by tlie' J.laori : woihc«'- hii's "mttcii ' tci rccoirimend ■ . <?moa flij-ff pMJi-a i .'Curvature; tiW'is 1 'Wldffs^ai^ 1 '. .(lured..by pi»n;% pillow^; unte'; the '. ' he-acteof. pefambiii.v 'tors>'- ; " Those'.iV'Ufl best-fentiw, '.say thnt the-child needs no isiliaw at '■ lot it lie flat oil its bank v.'ithout any. support'■ foe its head. ■ Sitting' badly,' with the shoulders hufichsd up- -or-wrth' . the pleasinit- luxury o/f soft eushioHß at tlie back of the ■. lipad -is • yti aiiotlier ft'mse. . Th.<! infflst prolific of. all,' however, acc-ording to f a"n expert,'i.s'th?t:irf lw.ijlrctal mlcnokls,- eases -of which ajy riisiie- shockingly (r«jti«;ut t]trcm*rlionfc ; the CQiuitrv. Throtigli bad- brcatiiiiiK ■nil sorts of, faulty positions-aw , ! .fallen f into, with the result of ctirv-situw,. ond ' «11 tlip.wils that arise from it—throat ] ami ehest. troubles, find even others |. 'that ave.ttioro fur-reaohing, sneii as i)»« / bneility in some .cases. Of : course,.! there are. instances, oue is toldi-o'n. which curvature is, coiigeiiiti\l, ; and these,'too, arc .often met'-with, but one of the troublw. that • d.Mtqrs and experts in physical .culture meet .with is that, so'ofteijj pafftiii.s wi.ll ,}ii»t TOfil* ise tho seriousness of the -position,- willnot see. what is- taking place before • theif eyes,. .ind when it is onintotl, out' tn them, will talce.;no steps tfl.eiicck thiv evil. Sometimes-they-■ shnifj; their shoulders, atid .Ray, • "Oh! they will EiWjout of it." . Even doctors, liayn j I Slid it, and yet an expert in physical] ; culture .will say that- «.-child •licvrr,- or very seldom,'grows <mt of such things, lint rather Rrnws into them, unless pro- j tentive measuics are tiikeif. ' .-, j

A rough computation pi'rts it that out of rjbout five thousand children 'who were medically examined in tlw> South Island, tlic fierconfcigp.nf.casps of .spinal, rnrvatfu'c was certainly not less /than' twelve School desks, it js- ndcnoivlodticd, liavo to do with this oyil, mid doubtless, ii-S -limes goes on, jtomctbiiig tvit] ip-juluall.v doiio to ma?;** them loss harmful in this respect. As an expert in .physical culture , ro- - marked: "W'Umi"mothers! ttei α-tlecner realisation of how- carefully Hin bodies of their young children havo to lie dealt

•with and lrow closely-t'iioy nrtisfc. he .wiitthed, tja'fd will he 'better cha'iiceS of huilding up a- fine- physique,aftona ■the i-i'eopli , ." ' ': Mrs. % Siptt?, who'htiß Won visiting hor pj»r«"i»f Mr. : and Jli-3. UdtfdingttwL, of' "Nevpcomte, ,,l Jfastert<ni, lcavce ■ to- ; morrow tt'Hli hw'liusßri-nd'l'ar.Aiiolt'tMia.' With her; sisteri',Jlrsi M'Govern, they visit lotoruu,'and later Jlr.'-and Jlr'a.Stono leave on their return to Western Australia, ■ '■"-' ■--A Loiulqiv.i?o!y-gsppndmt;. 4 Jii,i\Wy '!) Writes itwt Uisse-B: Wliitelaw '(AliekiaiKlViis on-hoard the s.s. Suffolk, which left Lmu'ton on the Bth. -Mißs WhitetjffiSxl his v<i!v?a .pkasmre vfeitjjjvwdi , 'Ti-Ss; been sttiyitig with her sister, -otlj : AV.vi;<itiihe Abjfey.-Schgolj" with, hef. ■'lirptheJ'..Mr; , "J. P. Wliitelaw, and-with Scottish relatives.-- ■ -" '■ : - ; - >L '' '■■■■■ ' The wain was given Jrotf to- grow hair, inako it <fo its "wortc; MISS MLgOM,' Hair Physician,, will diagnosfr y.oui' case (ffee of ■ ciia'j'ge), aiid prescribe tho. neces' sary prcpanVtioiis,. and bach-you liotv 16 use'them'; whether voiir IwirFjetqo .dry, too greasy, fivtsy, tliin,'. dandrtilf, irritation, etc. There is not'a prepnWt'ion ejtist*nt in itsetf- that wiH make hsir gn\r, ■ Init Jong «xpt*rience, study in Bcience of hair, imd successful treatment, with the romhination of .proptjf prepafaHonSj has ' fiahed tim «ort!t, All ifeatmeffts, sbafnI poping, face luassasi , , clippiti», manftmfMgr. ■ Iwinircssittg tasight. . Hair-work. of <ivfirv description. Katura] Hair, Parisian ! Kings 6v«ed instead of hot wds.) Advice I crati'i t)y irtnil. Jliss SliisDin, - King's I Chawb'eri, Willis- Street,' AV-el'lfoston. ' . ..-' T-. —