LADY PLUNKETS VISIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 12

LADY PLUNKETS VISIT.

Lady Plunket, who arrived in Dunedio on Friday evening, devoted Saturday afternoon to the affairs of Ac Society for the Promotion of Health of Women and Children. Her Excellency is not only the patroness of the society, but is a meet ardent and enthusiastic worker in connection with fche scheme, and has herself founded several of the branches, besides giving practical lectures and demonstrations on the hygi©n3 of the nursery, the preparation of humanised milk, the injurious effects of most cf the prams and go-carts in common use, etc.

Pltjnket Nubses' Room

The first place visited on Saturday was the Plunket Nurses' Room, in Liverpool street, where Mrs Matheson was in attendance. Several mothers end bebics v.ere seen here, and her Excellency was very much struck with the provision which had been made for tihe convenience of mothers visiting the Plunket nurse. The room is nicely furnished, and has an air of homeliness, not at all suggestive of an ordinary " waiting room " — indeed, the cheery fire, the bright pictures, the curtains, and the flowers, all convey the feeling of a comfortable sitting room where mothers will be glad fo come and rest for a spell while the nurse gives attention to their particular needs. Her Excellency very kindly offered to give a balance specially made for conveniently and accurately weighing babies, and it is hoped that many mo tilers will avail themselves of this means of regularly ascertaining how their babies are doing. In regard to this, it is interesting to note a case spoken of in connection with the Karitane Home. A mother from the country recently took her baby to the Home. The baby was two mouths old, and had gone down some 21b in weight, in spite of the fact that it was breast fed. The milk supplied seemed to be all right in quantity, but the mother thought there must be something wrong with the quality. On weighing the baby, before and after several nursings, it was found each time that only alittle more than an ounce was being drawn off — in other words, the baby was starved : it "was receiving only about a thira of what was needed. This casa shows in a very striking* way how important it is to weigh babies, even when they are breast tad, and it is obviously still more important when they are fed artificially.

Kaeitaxe Hospitai

Motor cars, kindly lent by Mr 3 Ewen and Mrs Ritchie, next conveyed her Excellency, Miss Hill, and members of the committee to the- Karitane Hospital, where the party was received by Mrs Joachim (vice-president), and the matron, Miss Ellis. An hour or so was spent seeing the babies, and every part of the institution. Her Excellency expressed herself ac greatly pleased with the progress that .had been made since her last visit, and with the brigrht and healthy look of all buF a very few of the most recent admissions, Trbose health has not yet become fully established.

Mrs Theomin, who was mainly instrumental in organising the whole function, provided tea and edibles, with the asistance of Mrs Moore and other members of the committee. The afternoon proved a most enjoyable one to the large number of visitors present.

Presentation to Nurse MTlinnon A very pleasing feature of the visit was the presentation Tby' Lady Plunket to Mrs Murray (better known in Dunedin as Nurse M'Kinnon), of the locket and badge- which her Excellency provides for all speciallytrained nurses authorised to be called Plunket nurses. These insignia of office are returned if any nurses gave up the particular work in conaeotton with which they have been granted, bat her Excellency has made a. special exception in the case of Mrs Murray, who, ac Nurse M'Kinnon, was pioneer of the movement, and .was created first Plunket iKrrse"«cSise two years ago: In making the -presentation, her "Excellency said £fie was glad -to give the locket end badge permanently to one who had not only been their pioneer nurse, . bub who •had proved herself in every 1 "way a devoted worker in the true spirit. She (Mrs Murray) toad criven herself whole-heartedly to helping all mothers and babies, counting neimer time nor trouble, and wishing only to help day or night where help was needed. She had ehowa great tect in dealing with all closes, lay and professional, and had done her duty most unselfishly. She had woo golden opinions in all directions, and in making the presentation her Excellency pished her long life and happiness. JJuns© M'Kinnon (Mtb Murray) replied

with some emotion. She said her work as a Plunket nurse had been a great pleasure to her. By marrying she had -ceased to be able to continue in charge of the work in Dunedin, but her heart was always in it, and always would be — "once a Plunket nurse, always a Plunket nurse." No Plunket nurse, she said, ought to marry. (Her Excellency, smiling : " You did quite right to marry. lam all for matrimony.") Nurse M'Kinnon. oontiniiin'g, said she did not mean that. Sihe meant that if a woman onca gi-ve herself to this work in the true spirit, she could not recede from it, even though she did marry. Her heart would always be in it— she knew her heart always would, — and she only hoped that she would prove worthy of her Excellency's kind words and conttdence.

The locket of the Plunket nurse is a flat silver ellipse, with the letters "V. P." in relief on the one face, and the following inscription on the other : " Love, pity, and sympathy for God's sake and His little ones."