FOR THE MAORIS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43084, 25 April 1907, Page 4

FOR THE MAORIS.

In an interesting address to the Te Ante Students’ Conference qt Gisborne Dr. Lisle, the district health officer, gave them some information that is interesting to the Maoris. He said that/ there wefb several ways in which the Maori injured 'his health and shortened his life. The Maori, in adopting European Customs, did it in only a halfhearted manner. He tried to be Half a Maori and half a white man. He must either live as his father lived, or live as the pakeha lived, to be healthy and strong, and! know how to 'bring up his children. Fresh air was essential to health!, and was very cheap. To live in overcrowded rooms, without, proper ventilation, was a sure way to contract disease. Food should be properly cooked amid! ptcperly eaten. The (Almighty gave them certain teeth, and they should use them while eating. To chew up the food well wias one of the safeguard® against' eating too much: and to eat too much was to dig thleir grave with their teeth. The rooms and houses they lived ini must not; be overcrowded, and must be well ventilated, and muist be well lighted. A ventilator Was necessary to ’early off the foul air. A! fireplace would answer thlat purpose. Besides eating properly, they Should drink! properly. The natural drink with man, as well as animals, was water. Maoris dressed too often in accordance with their vanity anid pocket, instead of their health,. To sum up, thie Maori children and adults must live in pure air, eat a sufficiency, hut not too mulch, of good food, leave the “waipiro” alone, and be clothed properly, according to the climate and! weather. Their fathers were a fine race of mem, and they had better chances than their fathers had, and should be better men. No man or race of mien could be Wealthy without work. There was no work so healthy ;>s working on the land.