PLUNKET SOCIETY

Southland Times, Issue 21091, 24 May 1930, Page 12

PLUNKET SOCIETY

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Invercargill branch of the Plunket Society was held in the secretary’s office, Newbrugh’s Buildings, Esk street, on Wednesday morning, Mrs T. D. Pearce presiding over the following members:—Mesdames Ritchie Crawford, W. Macalister, J. D. Mitchell, R. A. Anderson, A. Derbie, J. Callender, J. Thomson, C. C. Jennings, W. S. Todd, R. M. Strang, W. Carswell, W. G. Tait. A letter was received explaining that Dr. Derrick, New Zealand medical adviser of the Plunket Society, had been forced to resign his position owing to ill-health, which made it impossible for him to travel as much as was necessary. A cheque of £25 was received from the MacKinnon Trust, that being the amount for the year ending July 14, 1930. Invercargill was to receive £lO of the amount, and the remainder to be divided among the Riverton, Winton, Tuatapere and Bluff branches. The following visiting committees were appointed for the month: —Anderson Home —Mrs J. Thomson; South InvercargillMrs A. Derbie; Waikiwi —Mrs W. G. Tait; Karitane Hunt Hospital—Mesdames Ritchie Crawford, H. W. Royds, C. C. Jennings and J. Callender. Nurses’ Reports. Miss Warneke, matron of the KaritaneHunt Hospital, reported that three mothers and eleven babies were in the hospital on March 31. Two mothers and eight babies had been admitted and four mothers and ten babies discharged during the month. One mother and nine babies were in the hospital on. April 30. Fourteen patients—two mothers and 12 babies—was the largest number in on any one day. Two mothers and two babies were admitted from Invercargill, two babies from Invercargill and one baby each from Tuatapere, Gore, Ohai and Riverton. There were 256 visitors to the hospital during the month. A number of nurses from the Southland Hospital were among the visitors, and were very much interested in the work. Several classes of Girl Guides from different companies had also received instruction. Gifts of apples had been received from Mrs Kennedy and Mrs Young, venison from Mr Kelly, papers from Mrs Pollard and Mrs Edwards and a perambulator from Mrs Aitchison.

Nurse Wilson reported that Winton had been visited four times, Riverton five times, Bluff- five times and Tuatapere four times during the month. Four visits had been paid to the homes of new cases and 148 to the homes of old cases, while 269 adults, 229 babies and 51 older children had visited the office.

Nurses Rhind and Maclntyre reported that 40 visits had been paid to the homes of new cases in Invercargill and 383 to the homes of old cases. Four hundred and forty-one adults, 378 babies and 86 older children had visited the office. There were 1200 babies and 900 older children under supervision. The general health of the babies had been fairly good.