Frills Fads $ Foibles

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 216, 1 December 1927, Page 5

Frills Fads $ Foibles

OUR BABIES

By

Hygoia.

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society).

‘‘lt ie wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

Last week we published a mother’s letter regarding the trouble she was having in trying to rid her little child of worms. We then indicated the best general hygienic treatment, the most appropriate diet, and the simple measures which usually get rid of the pest, at the same time emphasising the necessity for particular cleanliness of fingers and nails, and avoidance of cucking fingers, lest this should lead to reinfection. We now wish to give our readers an intelligent idea of the nature and cause of this most annoying and irritating disorder. As we said last week: Small thread worms are very common, and they should always be got rid of as soon as possible, as they cause intense itching and irritation, restlessness and disturbed sleep, and this tends to upset the whole system. Further, the itching and consequent scratching induced not infrequently lead to the formation of bad habits. Cause or Effect The first question ask is whether in a given case the \ rms are to be regarded as the real cause of the trouble, or rather as an evidence that the general health and the bowel and its contents are not what they should be? As a rule ordinary worms don’t tend to flourish in a perfectly healthy bowel; but, on the other hand, worms are almost sure to take up their abode and flourish if the bowel becomes chronically weak and sluggish, especialljr if more or less chronic catarrh of the bowel becomes established, accompanied by the passing of slimy or jelly-like mucus. Worms tend to flourish in this mucus. The Law of Parasites The great causes of the invasion of the body by parasites of any kind—from microbes to worms—is a lack of defensive, robust health and pure blood. There are myriads of tiny enemies ever ready and on the lookout to attack and feed on all living things, whether plant or animal, and these enemies always tend to select the weak rather than the strong for their prey. One might have supposed it would be otherwise; one might have supposed that parasites would prefer to live on plants with pure, sweet sap, or on babies with rich, red, healthy blood: but this is not the case. They choose the feebler organisms or the weaker parts of those who may be otherwise strong. Fighting the Feeble Any gardener or farmer will tell you —indeed, you can see for yourself—that blight comes on the smaller, feebler cabbages or turnips—those growing in the poorer parts of the field or insufficiently supplied with air, light and water. The strong, vigorously growing plants nearby will be found quite free from the pest; but you would only have to weaken any of these plants by cutting most of their roots or by depriving them of proper supplies of air and water to cause an army of aphides to cover their leaves and weaken them further in the course of a few weeks. • Are Worms Generally the Cause or the Effect? Speaking to sudents regarding condition of feebleness and falling off most frequently seen in children about the time of their second “teething,” a distinguished physician says: “Other cases of debility with intestinal disorder will be brought to you simply for worms, and I want to impress upon you that you should always regard worms as a symptom, and not as a disease. They are a symptom of chronic intestinal catarrh rather than a disease in themselves.” The Lesson It must surely be clear to our readers, from what we have % said, that the best jneans of preventing the invasion of worms and all other troubles is to keep our babies and children well and fit.

We should go over the Essentials for Health on pages 1 and 2 of the society’s book, “Feeding and Care of

MODEL GARDENS At the Leicester Galleries in London a short time ago there was a wonderful exhibition of gardens in miniature. These were the work of Miss Beatrice Hindley, who designed the gardens for the Queen’s Dolls’ House. Some of the artificial flowers were less than an inch in height and were delicately fashioned from painted brass, the collection comprising over a hundred models of different plants.

AN ARCHITECT

A London woman architect, Miss Elizabeth Scott, is included in the group of six who have been chosen from 74 architects of Great Britain, the United States and Canada to submit further designs for the rebuilding of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon. It is from these further designs that the final selection will be made.

EDUCATION

A recent portrait of the Duchess of Atholl, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education. At the annual

convention of the British Society for the Advancement of Science in England, which was held recently, the Duchess of Atholl was at the head of the education section. DRESSMAKING The invasion of business by Society goes on. Though her father is passing rich, Miss Poppy Baring, a pretty daughter of Sir George Baring, of the renowned banking clan, is the principal saleswoman of a fashionable dressmaking establishment in the heart of Mayfair, London, of which a kinsman of the English Royal Family, Mr. George Fitzgeorge, is partowner and founder. FEEDING THE MULTITUDE It is said that Mrs. Mendelssohn, of London, caters for more meals in one day than any other woman in the world. She has just been appointed catering superintendent for the 40 or 50 houses associated with the Drapery Trust, Ltd. From looking after a large household she found herself suddenly called upon to provide meals for 1,000 to 1,500 persons a day. Now’, after eleven years, she estimates that she is catering for 10,000, ordering potatoes and other foods by the ton and eggs at the rate of 10,000 a week. Her takings are over £IOO,OOO a year. A UNITARIAN Miss A. M. Carr, M.A., a Girton College girl, has been appointed minister of the Church of Our Father, at Rotherham, England. Miss Carr, who is a Unitarian, was born at Wharf sdale, and studied theology at Manchester College. She has fair hair closely shingled and is thoroughly feminine in following the fashion in dress.

Baby,” and see whether we are failing in any respect. When children get teeth give them something to gnaw-*-at first a bone, later a fair proportion of food which must be thoroughly chewed. Teach the child to chew and don’t feed it on pap.

Especially restrict the quantity of sugar and sweets. Children would be very much happier and healthier if they had no sweets at all. As it is, nearly every child is damaged by excess in this direction.

If sweets must be given, let the children have one each at meal time. Always finish the meal with a bit of ripe uncooked apple well chewed.