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OUR BABIES

fBT HY.GEU/1 Published under the auispJces of tho Society for the Health of Women and Children. "it is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulanco at tho bottom." DOMINION BABY WEEK. THE MILK QUESTION AND INFANT WELFARE. The oneuiug lecture of the Dunedin campaign was delivered by Dr. Sydney Champtaloup, Professor of Bacteriology at Otago University. The following is a summary of the address:— In the course of his lecture Dr. Champtnloup said he did not think that the Dunedin milk supply was responsible for moro than a very few cases of disease, excepting, perhaps, the gastro-inte6tinal complaints of infants. Jin djd not remember a single instance durinK the last 6ix or BDvcii years of nn epidemic of any magnitude being traced to the milk supply, though one was constantly coming across records of milk-borne epidemics in the public health journals. Not only was Dunedin fortuuate in this respect, but during the same period ho had been struck on more than one occasion by the way iu which epidemic diseases which wore ragipg in other parts of tho Dominion, both north, south, and west of Dunedin, seemed to pass Dunedin by, except for a relatively few cases. Ho could not offer an explanation, but a striking oxainplc of this, fact was exemplified at present. Diphtheria had been verb prevalent throughout Now Zealand during the winter. Southland had been particularly unfortunate, and thero had boon numerous cases in many parts of the Otago province, from Oamaru southwards. We would expect Dunedin, with its relatively large population, to have had a considerable number of cases, and yet, so far, it had escaped with few, TUBEROUIOBIS. Turplng to tlw question of tuberculosis, the lecturer said it was a matter for sincoro thankfulness that the infants qf this Dominion had bo little to fear from the milk supply, as far as tuberculosis was concerned. He could not give aocurato particulars for the rest of tho Dominion, but they had been working at the subject oil and on for some years in his laboratory at the Medical School, so that, as far Rβ Dunedin was conoerned, ho could epeak with somo oonfidenoe.. Anyone who was familiar with Edinburgh must nave been struck by the relatively large number of young people of the poorer classes who had suffered, or wore suffering, from tuberoulo3ls of the glanda of tho neck. A Bimilar observation in Dunedin viae alraoet barren of results—wo saw very little of this type of tuborouloeis. Provalonco in Edinburgh. Much exhaustive research work iu Edinburgh and other centres had led to the conclusion that much of the- iuvenile tuberculosis in that city was duo to tho ingestion of tho milk of tuberculous cowa. Two outstanding features which supported this conclusion were: (1) The fact that 20 per cent, of the milk samples examined were found to contain living and virulent tubercle bacilli; and (2) the fact that tho great majority of tho cases of juvenile tuboroulosis in that city were found to be duo to tho bovine typo of tubercle bacillus, which children would naturally ingest with infected milk. Another investigation showed that of those infected with tuberculosis, 77 to 90 per cent, were bottlefed babies—that was, they were ,fed on infected cow's milk. In Manchester, Professor Delepine, who had devoted much time to this subject, had reduced tho percentago of tuberculous milk samples from 17 per cent, in 1892 to 6 per cent, in 1907, while tho figures for the London County Council worked out at 11.6 per cent, of tuberculous milk samples. Was it any wonder that 11,000 children under five years of age died every year from tuberculosis in Great Britain-that was, that section of tho community which depended moßt upon milk for nourishment? This workod out roughly at 244 infants per million ot the population. Relatively Favourable Position in New Zealand. It was refreshing to compare our position in New Zealand with that }ust outlined in Great Britain. Ho was informed by Dr. Reakee, the Ohief Veterinarian, that numerous samples of milk had been examined by the Live Stock Division of the Agricultural Department from tho various ■ centres, and theso generally from suspected herds, or tboso supplying institutions, and of all the samplos of milk thus examined none had been found to contain living tubercle bacilli. In Dunodin thoy had examined in hie laboratory tho milk from 100 of tho herds supplying tho city with milk, and in only ono case were living tubercle bacilli found. Aβ a controlling experiment they had during tho last five yoar» worked out the type of tubercle baccillua (i.e., human or bovine) infeoting all children who had come under thoir notice aa Buffering from tuberculosis, and in contra-distifiction to Edinburgh they found that tho majority were Infected by the human type of r.acilluß. In other -words, they hod been infected by human beings and not by milk. Those most competent to give an opinion know that tho system of inspecting of cattle, especially dairy cattle, was much more stringent m New Zealand than elsewhore, end it wan kept up year in and year out. This had tho effect of wecdinc out tuberculous cows from among thp herds supplying milk to the public to seriously infect the milk supply. If we examined the statistics for Rew Zealand we found that tho deaths from tuberculosis in children under flro years of ago, wero only GO per million of the population, as compared with 244 per million for Great Britain. Ho thought these facts and figures would convince anyone that whatever faults the Dunedin milk supply might havo, it was certainly not a faotor of any importance in the spread of juvenile tuberculosis. Ho had attempted to show by a eenes of contraets the importanco of a good, safe, and fresh milk supply, and how tho dairyman, the middloman, and the oonsumer could help in this respect. How, then. was. this desirable end to ho attained? ItoEUlattons and inspection would help, but without the intelligent co-operation of tho dairyman they would not solve the problem. Dr Chamtaloup illustrated by means of slides where'an improvement, might be effected, and in conclusion said thoy had been that if one looked at the matter intelligently, the means of avoiding tao ill"Kβ of a doubtful milk supply were comparatively simple and effective if we could ensure the proper training and co-operation of all tho.o who handled the simply, and tho application of a little elemontary knowlcdgo and commonsenso in the household.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19171110.2.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 40, 10 November 1917, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,091

OUR BABIES Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 40, 10 November 1917, Page 2

OUR BABIES Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 40, 10 November 1917, Page 2

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