THE NATION’S HEALTH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4445, 26 July 1922, Page 2

THE NATION’S HEALTH.

DOCTOR'S DEMAND FOR MORE SPORTS. “This mental era” was blamed by Surgeon-Commander Kenclm Digby Bell fof the School of Physical and Recreational Training at Portsmouth) for physical and moral deterioration of the race, in an address which he gave at the annual congress of the Royal Institute- of Pdblic Health at Plymouth. “In our mental advancement w? seem to forget the survival of., the fittest,” lie said. “Nations wnich considered the health and physical fitness of their masses have always survived the longest. The physical, fitness of the people has been neglected more and more as the thirst for cramming brains has grown.” Children, he declared, 'had no chance to play games properly. When they did play their games .were no“. controlled, and developed into noisy squabbles. Parents chose schools for their children only with regard to the schools’ records in producing successful candidates for examinations. Sport was being neglected. In consequence we were losing pur national character for sportsmanship. The spirit Of sport did not pervade the nation, and sport was regarded to-day simply from the standpoint of “How much is it worth ?” The spirit of sport which made British sportsmen nien of honour was forsaking us, to the detriment of our national character. It was due to the overpowering strain of this mental era. “This mental era,” he continued, “with its enforced education of children and its evils ofl poring over books and hunching oven desks, has caused us as a race to be predisposed to weak backs and curved spines, with consequent deterioration of ■health.” A national council should be formed, he said in conclusion, to ensure properly organised physical exercises and recreation. The mental strain of modern life made daily physical exercises and recreation more necessary than ever before, SOUND TEETH WITHOUT USING TOOTHBRUSH. After two years of age children should be fed on solid foods a.nd taught only to drink after meals, declared Dr., Sidney Barwise, of Duffield. Derbyshire, lecturing at the Congress of- the Royal. Institute of Public Health at Plymouth on the preservation of good teeth, He said he found children with good teeth in homes where the toothbrush. had never been seen, and if he had a choice as to whether a child should be fed .on hard foods, and drink after meals and never use a toothbrush, or.be brought up like any middle-class child and use a toothbrush, he would prefer the former. Sufficient instruction has not been given on the use of thg rig.it form of toothbrush. He favoured the use Of lime water as a mouth wash, and for those who could not get a lump of builder’s lime he recommended %oz of hydrate of lime put into water. Years ago it was a common practice to give lime water and milk to children to form bone, and. this may be the reason that, .the generation just “petering -out” had better teeth than their children. If they could carry out a programme on some such line as this the services of. dentists and dental dressers would not be required. He believed they could prevent dental caries, have less of diseased tonsils, adenoid growths., debility leading to tuberculosis, tuberculous glands, anaemia, rheumatism, and heart disease, and, given the capacity to eat the right food, they would get rid of that bugbear—the delicate child