The Dominion MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1918. A DISTURBING STATE OF AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 75, 23 December 1918, Page 4

The Dominion MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1918. A DISTURBING STATE OF AFFAIRS

An incidental result of the war lias been to throw a flood of light upon the physical condition of the manhood of this country, and it is to be added that the revelations thus made are as far as possible from being , satisfactory. As ■ they stand the statistics based upon the medical examination of recruits call for some reservations and are open to minor corrections, but the disturbing fact is established that inore than half the men of military age examined were found to bo below theh'equisite standard. No doubt many recruits were rejected on account of slight injuries and defects which are of little importance in civilian lifo—the exact proportion of such cases has not been disclosed—but, as was mentioned in our news columns a few days ago, the doctors, who sat on the medical boards are agreed that very many thousands of recruits were found to be suffering from weaknesses that ought not to have existed, weaknesses due to ignorance, excess, or neglect of the conditions that make for health and physical efficiency. Such a conclusion based upon the most extensive survey yet attempted of the physical condition of the manhood of the Dominion raises, or should raise, an imperative demand for remedial' action. Properly regarded the figures of military rejections are . a more alarming indication of the standards of health in New Zealand than anything that came to light during the recent epidemic, for they show that these standards are low where it might have been expected they would be highest. If men between the ago limits that comprehend the best years of manly vigour and development make as poor a showing it is hardly, likely that a similar examination of other groups in the community would show a more gratifying state of affairs. A nation or a community which cannot show reasonably good and improving* standards of health and physical efficiency is like an individual suffering from a wasting disease. The ultimate prospect before 'it is a steady deterioration in physical fitness. It is evident that organised measures are necessary in order to promote the health of the community. Such information bearing on reigning standards of health as has been made available in other ways, notably by the medical inspection of school children, is equally well calculated to serve as a spur to action;

It is to be hoped that doctors and others who are in a position, to speak with authority will take all possible advantage of the extent to which , attention is at present centred cm questions of public health with a view to securing the adoption of necessary reforms. Much morethan a short-lived health campaign is called for. . What is needed is that questions of health and physical efficiency should hz given permanently the attention to which they are entitled, in view of their bearing on individual and national welfare, but have- hitherto been denied. Following upon the publication of the statistics of military rejections it has been suggested that a small commission composed of doctors with active service experience should examine the records and a-lso take the evidence of doctors who have been engaged in examining recruits. The suggestion ought to be adopted, for it will probably be a long time before evidence as comprehensive regarding the physical condition ot the manhood of the Dominion is again .

'available. The report based upon such an investigation should be of great value as a guide to policy. While details remain to be determined, and can only be determined in accordance with expert advice, it is a. matter of common agreement 1 that the State must be prepared to greatly extend its present activities in the direction of safeguarding and promoting public health, and probably it may be regarded as already established "that it can nowhere more profitably concentrate its efforts than upon infants and children of school age. Thanks largely to the admirable ivork of the Plunket Society, New Zealand has a creditable record in recent years' where the promotion of infant health is concerned, but it should be possible to considerably broaden the scope of this great work. As regards school children there is a growing demand that medical inspection should be followed by treatment at the expense of the State where it is necessary and the parents are in poor.or indigent circumstances. No doubt it is right' that the demand should be met, arid it is of course right that the fullest advantage should be taken of the school years both in improving the physique and health of children, and in imparting such instruction as will make for their good health in later life. There can be no doubt, however, that like many other social problems that of public health centres largely in the home. So far as this aspect of the problem is concerned, the experi : ence of the recent epidemic has made it abundantly clear that in any comprehensive attack upon existing evils full heed must be given to housing and living' conditions. As a whole thei problem is complex and will not be easily or speedily solved, ,but the figures of military rejections in- themselves sufficiently demonstrate that there is scope for vastly improving upon ouivpast efforts to that end.