ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 14

ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES.

Dannevirko. —Acting Plunket Nurso Stamper. Hon. secretary, Jlrs. Bickfcrd, Bank of Now Zealand. Gisborne. —AcSjng Plunket Nurso Blackburn. Hon. Secretaries, Mcsdames Reeve and Anderson. Hastings (Hawke's Bay).—Plunket Nurso Walton. Residence and office, Heretaunga Street. Tel. 609. Hon. S'eorctary, Mrs. I. S. M'Leod, Market Street. . Hawera. —Acting Plunket Nurse Honeyfield. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. H. Fullarton Johnson, Camberwell lload. Marton.—Acting Plunket Nurso Rogers. Every Tuesday. Offico of the Society, Inglo Bros., Broadway. Tel. 37. Hon. Secretary, Miss Cook, Bond Street. Tel. 54. Napier.—Plunket Nurse M'Laren. Offico, Church Lane. _ Tel. 485. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. C. Ashcroft, View Road. Tel. 335. Nelson. —plunket Nurse AYix. Officc, 18 Sehvyn Place. Tel. 125. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Crawford, Scotland Street. * Petone- nnd Hutt.—Plunket Nurse Baker. Office, Council Chambers, ..Petone.- Hon. Secretary, Miss Peach,. Britannia Street, Petone. Taihape.—Acting Plunket Nurso Rogers. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Arrowsmith, Tailtape. AVanganui District.—Plunket Nurse Fouts. Tel. 949. Office of the Society, T.Y.M.L Buildings, The Avenue. Wellington.—Plunket Nurses Seater, Mitchell, and Neil. Society's Room, Courtenay Place. Tel. 2425. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Hosking, 20 Hobson Street. AVestport.—Plunket Nurse AA'ynn Harrojd. Hon.' Secretary, Mrs. C. G. Curtis, Peel Street, AVestport. Tel. 1.21. ■ The Society's book, entitled "Feeding and Care of Baby,", can bo obtaiiiea from the Matron, Karitaue-Harris Hospital, tho Plunket Nurses, and the honorary secretaries of tho Societies. Price Is. As tho book has now been registered to go by magazine post, tho postage is only including tho war stamp. "Feeding and Care of Baby" can also bo obtained from the loading booksellers throughout tho Dominion. FRESH AIR THE GREAT PANACEA. A steadily-growing appreciation of the virtues of fresh air in relation to health constitutes the most important and hopeful hygienic advance of our time. But,, unfortunately, the public are slow tov change their ways. The marvellous results achieved in fresh air sanatoria, whore enfeebled invalids' are often turned out strong and vigorous in ; tho course of a few months, and the enormous benefits; arising from opeii-air schools, wherever they are tried, make little impression on the majority of people as regards their own homes. However, a good many parents aro now bringing up their families on openair lines, and the number is always increasing. This matter is one to which attention , cannot bo too often or too forcibly directed, and we are always glad to bring forward fresh points of practical importance and interest ill this connection. 1 As we have mentioned previously in our ' column, there has been, much scientific investigation and discussion of late years as to the precise, reason why the stuffy air of our sitting-rooms, and bedrooms is, so injurious) enfeebling, and depressing, and so specially harmful to children. We have pointed out that the general trend has been':,to show that the warmth, moisture, and lick of movement of the air of unventilated rooms is a more injurious factor than the more using up of'oxygen or the tion. of poison from our breath. What tho rising generation must have, if it is to grow up strong and fit, and if our 40 per cant, of rejects is to be provented in future, is to ensure in every home, especially in the bedrooms: (1) Freshness of the air; (2) coolness of tho air; (3) movement of the air. In other words, warmth, breath-laden moisture, and stillness of air must be banished from our bedrooms, unless we are prepared to allow our children to grow up a race of weaklings. AVHAT AMERICAN DOCTORS THINK AND SAY. Authoritative opinion in America could not-be stronger or more unanimous than it is' on the urgent need of a fresh-air crusade. Tho presidential address, given only two and a half months ago in AVashington at the annual meeting of the American PediV trie Society, dealt solely with fresh air, and the following extracts cannot fail to interest our readers: —

Dr. Rowland G. Freeman, of New York (president.) said that the doctor who devoted himself to the care of children (the pediatrician) had a specially powerful and invigorathte thera.peutic agent in fresh air—that is, moving, cool, out-of-door air. The effect of this, was to stimulate the appetite, induce quiet sleep, bring colour to the cheeks, and increase the resistance of the organism to infection.

In. 18S3 . Hermans, of the H.vgenic Institute, in Amsterdam, concluded that the discomfort of crowded places was due to the inability of the body to cool itself in a ■ hot, moist atmosphere. These symptoms,' then, were chic .to stagnant, hot, 'moist air surrounding the body, and would be accentuated in people wearing heavy, impervious clothing that prevented access of moving air to tho skin. It was evident that they should wear as little clothing as was consistent with comfort.

Tho result of elaborate experiments was, in brief, that fresh air was good, not merely becauso it supplied oxygen and contained fewer poisonous elements, but mainly because it allowed ,:he body to exist under sueli circumstances that it could control its moisture and temperature.

'Pho traditional fear of draughts and the habit of many people of living in close, hot rooms had' to be combated. The cold air of winter was much more stimulating and produced better results in children than tho mild air of spring and autumn.

The best results from fresh 'air were obtained by keeping tho children out of doors day and night. Out-of-door sleeping porches, enclosed 011 thr.eo sides and roofed, but open 011 tho sunny side, furnished the best fresh air at night, while in the daytime balconies and rooms without heat and windows wids open supplied the air they needed. It should bo seen that tho children were not sealed in heavy, impervious covering, so that the skin was unable to rid itself of the heat and moisture. . . .

Iu all acufco infectious diseases Dr. Freeman thinks there is now a generai acceptance of the advantage of fresh air, excepting, perhaps, in measles ancl scarlet fever. In tuberculosis and in pneumonia, there is no question of its advantage.

It would seem that some explanation is needed as to why, if all these statements are true, children arc still housed in 6tuffy rooms, and many adults have a panic if a breath of colli air strikes the back of their neck or their bald heads, while children who aro brought up without fear of cold enjoy it wherever it strikes. It is sinccrcl.y to bo hoped that the coming generation may be brought up properly and may be independent of

hot, offensive, stagnant air for the supposed comforts of life. Many children aro allowed to become- sick from improper housing, and children may be seen dying in iho closed wards of many of our he3t hospitals who might have been saved had they been put out of doors.