THE CARE OF INFANTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2197, 9 July 1914, Page 10

THE CARE OF INFANTS

LECTIJBE BY DR.; HUJBY'-dtING:

A i-lecture,'• on . /.The.- -Rights -and Wrongs of Children",was given at'ths Concert' ClJambeiv; (Town■■ Hall) ':■:-. last night by Dr,>Truby. King,, of Dunedin ■As,evidence,of,'tlio interest in'the'subject: there Was quite a-good attendance, of;the. : . public. -The chair-was taken by ■Dr. :AV|; ;E.' Collins,, who reviewed the worKmid ■ hearted efforts and, his tenacity -of purpose .in .seeking tofeffect - an-' improve-: .-merit; in the health of; women and<'chil~ ■■.-■';., -. | ■{. r \ -■;■■-';;> ■■l : i -y : - : : ■■|: Afi'the ;outset;Dr, -Truby .plained; tha't-to. somo, of 'those,: present' much; ofi. the .lecture': would'-.cover■;• old ground,:but';would also introduce matr. :teri based-upon'.his recent experiences; I'he.main- points of the. subject, "however, 'were stereotyped, as-ittwero, because- the wants <f man-.were- few,': and' simple. The laws of; Nature we're abso-. •lutely, simple and in the learning they/ became extremely .' interesting.-.- :, The necessity of tafegaarding -the. mother and-the; child was gradually beginning' to -draw upon society, -as/also' was the' necessity' of seeing that the'ctiild ,in the first year was given'the best opportunity to;, develop.; .'Every; year some. 25,000 children;we'reborn,in New/Zealand and;, of His number: sbme 1500 wc'iild die. This was the lowest deathrate in 'the world, but medical'men were satisfied that vif was. very' much;'-larger' than it would' be when' the simple laws; of life in regard Mo fresh air, proper' feeding, "regular.' exercise, and" clothing were known and 'acted', upon!, i.vlt'lwas: -of 'stupendous" importance' --.that ' the; death-rate should be reduced/but more .•important still was it that those.that lived;; should have proper 'care -, in infancy, . For. every child that died some five 'or six' wero'-iinheces'sarily, handi- ; capped, fpr life, c'wing ta ignorance and neglect; From Dr : Trub'y; King's own experience'he was convinced that of the hundred' thousand infants< that' annually died in England, at least 50,000 could be' saved merely," by. educating';, the mothers': iiv the correct way,: quite apart from any improvement in the living con-' ditions of the masses.,' Of tho: million, '.babies annually born; in/England, hot 10 per cent., were reared' '■■ by the best'means,, and m this connection tho lecturer condemned ■ artificial feeding, excessive . feeding, the frequent' giving of sweets for: the immediate gratification, of. tho child,;: and, tlie' use of tint ■ "dummy." . By' sovenil: illustrations, lie'";' demonstrated '■: the harmful -' eft'eot.i. of these'wrongful methods. England' recently lie had. been shown two oak : trees .which had been planted in the same year—ono from an acorri ahd ; the other,:from.: a dittle oak./ The former had .developed to 'a hjiicn grea'ei extent than the'. other.. This/ -. clearly slibwed: the, .harm resulting' from any-' thing/that would' retard the growth, of life in the first year,.in this case the removal of the plant. He had'been so" impressed with it that he had the scene photographed, arid he had: screened it •before,his .audience:, at .- Huddersfield, saying to tliem: "You, boast of your , hearts of; oak, do you want your children to be oal's like this or like that?"' It was imperative to permit *of nothing that. would retard the 'growth -of tho body.- in; tho; first year,': but ,'abqvo all nothing that would' retard the growth of'the'brain, which developed as' much in the.first year lis .it did during the rest of; life'. ",Fresh air was very essential, but; before advice/could, be given for children' to be put safely-in the open air,: the mother had to. he -instructed in the proper making of -. the bed, sothat the. maximum ■ amount of warmth was obtained with the minimum amount of pressuro upon the' body. This ■, work was undertaken by; the Plunket nursesj who; werb gradually increasing in numbers and, extending their sphere 'of operations; and; whose instructions and assistance made maternity not; only 'more'successful, but far more interesting to the parent.. The' ground already covered by the Plunket nurses in thp Dominion and the additional ground that would shortly he covered: were' indicated by Dr.' Trilby King upon' the miyp, and ■ ho also illustrated the successful results following'many, of the cases which had been treated in the Karitane Homo;

1 At tlie conclusion of tho. lecture he Vas warmly applauded. ■',"' .The lantern;for;tlio purpose.of illustration operated by Mr. ITanlio Shaw;','• ■' :'v'<.-.:: ■•-■''■'■ :.:-.'.