RATS AND A DOLL. .

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1924, Page 4

RATS AND A DOLL. .

HOME SCIENCE. EXPERT'S USE

THEM

AUCKLAND, May 20,

A pair of white rats and a life-size doll comprise the strange stock-in-trade brought to New Zealand oh the Maktira to-day by two home science experts from the United States. They are Misses Lilian B. Storms and Gladys McGill, who have received appointments on the teaching staff of the home .science school at Otago University. Miss .Storms is a graduate of the lowa State College, and a doctor of philosophy of Columbia University (New York). Miss McGill is a native of Georgia, and a graduate of Columbia University.

In explanation of the rats, which were in comfortable quarters in the hold. Miss Storms said her special subjects were chemistry and nutrition. In studying the latter subject, the white rats provided a useful object-lesson, for their diet was very much that of human beings. What was true of. white rats, at least in the field of dietetics applied fairly fully to man, but, in the study of the effects of various foods, rats possessed an advantage in that their reactions could lie studied through several generations in the course of a rear or so.

“Yes,’’ assented Miss Storms, laughingly, “that pair of rats will ho greatgrandparents to a horde ol little ones within - year. At Columbia University a pair of them bad over a thousand descendants in about three years. In-breeding apparently dues not afTert rats, but the way we work with them is to study the effect of food deficiency. for instance, in the original pair and in succeeding generations. A comparison of these results with those given by rats on full diet gives valuable data.. l{;tls are convenient for experiments. as they tire easily handled and tamed, and their lives ran be ensile ordered and controlled.’’

“And now you want to know why Lite life-size doll?’’ smiled Miss McGill.

“Well, my subjects are textiles and economical and artistic? dressing. No, von needn’t cast your eye over me to see if 1 am till object-lesson. That is what the doll is for. I carry with it :i model wardrobe. It has already helped me its it teacher in the Ohio State University. You can understand bow important it is. if the family budget is to be halanced. to study the art of dressing economically and well. The textiles branch, of course, is designed to inform students of the qualities of materials. I specialise chiefly in children’s clothing, a great problem in all households, and my doll is little more than a baity with it complete ward robe as designed for for a child ol her years.” Misses Storms and McGill arc accompanied by Miss Alda AVilson, architect, of New York. They intend staving in Auckland for a few days anil visiting Kotorua liefore taking up their appointments at Dunedin.