THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 33, 2 November 1917, Page 6

THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN

LECTUEE BY MATRON' BROWN. The Baby Week campaign was continued yesterday afternoon, the Concert Chamber being practically filled with the senior girls from the schools. The main proceedings of the afternoon were a lecture by llrs. Brown, late matron of the Karitane Hospital, and demonstrations. In beginning her lecture Matron Brown spoke of the utter disregard of infant life which was exhibited in the early times of our civilisation, when infanticide waa a'very common practice. The introduction of Christianity was one of the causes which helped to introduce a more humane attitudo of mind in this respect, and infanticide became prohibited. 'In the earlier centuries unwanted babiea were left in a marble cradle uitside the ohurches, and the monks would take in and adopt these unfortunates. Naturally not knowing much about the rearing of children many of them died on the monks' hands. In tho time of Henry VIII the clergy were compelled by law to keep records of all deaths and oil christenings, so that a littlo more attention began to bo paid to the birth-rata of the country. So very little was known of the upbringing of f-hildnsn in Queen Anne's time that out of eighteen or nineteen children she was only able to save one, and it died when quito young. Naturally, being Queen of England, it could only be expected that her children would get all. the care and attention which it was considered that children should have, and yet such were tef losses.

It was only about 100 years ago that the needs of babies began to be really understood, and it was in Dublin that the first systeraitised attempts were made to save infant life (in the eighteenth century). In the first fort, sight after birth it was found that more than 16 out of 100 babies oied, and so efforts were made to check such mortality. It was found that fresh air find cleanliness did marvellous work in conserving lives. ■ So largo a death-rate as prevailed in England at last began io alarm the authorities, and the Government look steps, not, however, till Franco had first begun, to put her house in order in that respect. It was r ecogniaed that tho nation which had tho biggest birth-rate was the nation that was going to be tho most powerful, and accordingly Germany in a lew years' time would become infinitely more powerful than France. So how to reduce the deathrate of infants became a problem which X'Vance tried most earnestly Jo tolve. To the fact that French women worked in the fields, ov elsewhere during tho day, so that their babies were not propel ly fed or properly looked after was ascribed a great part of this mortality. It was furthermore noticed in England that during the Civil War in America, when the cotton factories in Lancashire were closed, and the women workers wero perforco kept at home, tho death-rate of infants fell tromendously, and when they onco more entered the factories aftor the wai had ended.tho death-Tate rose again. It was very largoly because tho babies d;d not get the natural nourishment, and were not looked after as they needed to

bo. A man who did wonderful work m France in stemming infantile mortality was Professor Budan, of Paris, many of whoso principles and ideas have been adopted by Plunket workers. One of tlie things to which ha paid speoial attention was to the milk which was supplied to infants. An ardent supporter of natural feeding, yet when it was impossible that this 6hould be done he used to have sent to the homes specially prepared packets of milk to which a label was attached bearing tho words "For want of something better." Another thiuj that was done in Paris was the starting of canteens (in quite a small way by a father and mother who had lost their only child) for the benefit of poor mothers who were nursing tiieir babies, and through these means a great (leal of good was done. Matron Brown thought it quite possible that those cantoens were still in existence. During tho siege of Paris, in the Franco-German war, owing to tho fact that so many women who in ordinary times worked oil tlio farms and in tho fields, were of necessity shut up in the city, tho deathrate of infant's was reduced in spito of siege conditions. America was doing a great work in regard to the saving of infant life. A' New York c rganisation had 191 nurses, who did splendid work for the babies. Whenever there was a birth a notification had to be sent in to tho authorities, and one of the nurse 3 was sent to visit the child. If necessary (if it were weakly) the nurse would continue to. visit it and give advice, and if it were agreeable to the_ parents she would make a point of seeing' how it progressed during its early babyhood. 15y means of this a great difference had been mado in saving the baby life of New York, which was a very difficult city to work, owing to its mixed popula- 1 tion and its congested areas. Milk stations, where good milk kept on ice could be procured, were established in different parts of the city, the roofs of these places being painted sky-blue, so that it could be told at a glance whero a milk station was. Ico was supplied to poor people freo, so that they could keep their milk cool. Another interesting point that was touched upon by the nurse was tho growth of thq, brain, which was greatest during the first year of life. It was most essential that right conditions for the baby were secured during this time, as their loss could not be remedied in after-timo. When bom tho brain of a normal child weighed 1U ounces, and at the end of tho year it weighed 33 ounces. The brain of an adult weighed 48-i ounces.

Tho composition of milk was no.it discussed, ami some interesting facts given. Cow's milk was made expressly for a calf; human milk was madu expressly for a baby. Tho calf has a hngo stomach, consisting of font; compartments, which enable it to digest coarse curd—which is almost absent from human milk. The baby has one tiny delicate stomach. Not only did Nature put from two to three times tho quantity of proteid into cows' milk, but the proteid was present in the form of a crude, tough curd—which the calf can readily digest, but which overtaxed tho bab.v. The main purpose of "humanising" milk was to reduce the flesh-form-ing material to about a third, and to ensure that tho third which is left in shall bo of a sufficiently digestible kind. The fatal objection to tho uso of "whole cow's milk" for babies was the fact that the great excess of proteid overtaxed

both tho digestive organs and the kidneys, by imposing on them from two to throe times their proper daily work. The usual results during infancy wero constipation and indigestion, diarrhoea, malnutrition, impaired growth, kidney trouble, etc. If the child grew satisfactorily for a time on such wrong feeding" the mother flattered herself she had done no harm—she took no account of predisposing her child to Bright's disease or other penalties and disabilities later in life.

A demonstration of how to prepare the cradlo for the occupancy of the baby, tho way in which the clothes should be arranged, was next given by Matron brown, who during the course of her lecture had illustrated her differentpoints by means of charts. Tho summer and winter clothing that it was advisable that babies should wear was shown, and tho good and bad points about a perambulator made plain to tho audicnco. Fresh- air and sunshine, tho placing of the baby when outside, near something growing—a hedge for instance—exercise, etc., were also spoken of

and enlarged upon. "Baby Week" ends to-day with a tea for mothers, and it is cxpected that there will be a large gathoring in the Concert Chamber this afternoon. Mrs. W. 11.I 1 . Massey, president of the society, was present during yesterday's proceedings. The committee wishes to thank Scoullar and Co. for the loan of furniture, the D.I.C. for the uso of a cot, perambulator, and flags for decoration; also Messrs. Hutcheson and Co. for flags, the Education Board for a blackboard, the W.N.R. for the loan of china for the mothers' tea to-day.