PROTECTION OF INFANT LIFE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 56, 25 February 1908, Page 4

PROTECTION OF INFANT LIFE.

Lady Phinkct ha- wiitien [,, hi. Wor--1»»I» th,. Mjji.r a- follows;■■ -■ Ifc-ar Mr. Major.-I told j.ni how iiiiNi.m- 1 wis to start the S„-i. iv i'..r the l*..it.i li m of infant Life in .Sen- Plunouth. and jou mu-t kiii.lly ~iid you U..11M li«-i 1 . tl> gather .1 meeting I.il- i 11... I emlomy li-.i.-r to lli.- Auckland Pre... as it gin-, il.,- wli.il.- -,-liemc and j,|,..,. A urn-.. i-i.,i. tins, an.l ihis i. obtained through |„vplc j.,iiiiii._, ~. member- and p.iyiu-: i- .1 >.:.ir. Ih.- milk -ii|.).ly ,- 1111.-I ,\.. doubt vi.nr dairi -s ar,- good. If any on.- ni" thi'iii would make :h<- liuiiMii'i-.-.l milk tv.i.lv t,» 1,-.-scut ..ui il would l„ ili t . »i-,..ii,"-i help an.l lil.-in- to iii.itlii-i.. 1 i, t .|i,. v .- tinplant iii.t. tlrin 1.1 ..-t ii|i, an.l ill..- i.i.-a. in Wellington i, tor the Society to "i,o the ilairyiii.in who g.>e- in this a percentage ~n lli.- capital, aiul al.o .1 bomi- .U th.- i-n.l <>f tin- year if it is perfectly -ati-fa,-t..ry. It you think Xew Plymouth would In- willing 1,1 | adopt the -it-lienic I .honl,| ny to .peak at a merlin-.', (if course, it i. m,,.t j m -

portanl to have tin- doctor, on our side and their help. Perhap- if you .ent me :» li.t of the iloitor- I write to them niy-elf. I .hoiild l,e pa..ii,._r thr.iugh New Plymouth on the 17lh anil could hold the iiuvtiu-; „„ ih,- ]S(|, March.'' [Kncl.-iire.l Sir,— M.ll 1 lie pel milled to 11-e loll; column, lo plead mo can-c 01 the iuiaut life uf lliio city aud il. .li-tricf: 1 am anxious to esiaoli,h in Ati'-klaud a branch ot me >o,ietv 1..1 me i-roi.-.-

tiuii 01 Infant uu-aii which already ha, "oikin-; iM.uicac- .11 Wellington, Curi,lcnuiui. ,iuu DuncUiu. To urielly dcviiuc lue inetiiud m opcralieu;—This society proctiics nurse-, wuo are specially tra.ue.i 111 tin.- ,ca-ii-titic and accurate feeding and manage incnt of infant,, a naming wlncii is

uow obtainable ui Duiieuni. ill-uur-.es, working under a local commute

give lecture and deiuun-tration, in atu |«rt of the city or .u-irk-t 10 which th.-i are invited, and pcisciially ii,ii and ,'uolruct any mother who may ask liieni to-do so, continuing such visit, ,0 long as they can be ot assistance. Another important branch ot the work i, the organisation and ,upeivi,iou ol a supply of humanised milk, prepared in ditlciciil strength-, and sent out iu suitable buttles.

Aly attention was lir,i called to thr, bubject by Dr. Trubv king, and also in ' the course of visits paid to homes, 110,pitals, creches and other similar institutions, in different part, ot the Dominion. I constantly observed infant, which had been received, into these institutions in a deplorable condition, mainly owing to improper feeding, i will not trespass upon your space to describe the harrowing condition of those little mites, but 1 desire to be allowed to combat the argument, frequently advanced, that 'a mother's instinct' 1 will teach her how to feed baby. If all mother* were abb' and ready "to feed their children by Nature", method, much could Ih- said for such an opinion, but thi. uiifoituuatc'y i, not the case.

In lhe artificial it-eiliiijj of babkthere is at present nu practical teaching ca-ily availably, although it i- a vitally important, subject; and the art of treating cows' milk, iu order to uiaki' it us -imilar as possible to the natural food, represents the result of many years of scientific research, whilst its preparation demands the greatest care. luder existing circumstance- a 1110"'' , er cannot possibly consult n doctor c 0"cerniug the daily tips and doun- ° l '"'' babv. She i-. therefore. depend y <H upon uu-'kiiM a.lvice. and «as t"J*f»'r,n.cn; J upon 1...T mum, often «ll* Castro ;< re-iilt*. i-ii, , I 'Hie .-_i:hau^ y! ' M '" ' nav '' placed !|O- - reailen is not an untried on •: i-rfrTnorking successfully at Home and abroad. Dunedin already supports several nitr-os and distribute, 3:tU bott!"of humanised milk daily, and tin- appreciation of tlie nurses usefulness is shown by the number of babies that they are asked to vi-it.

I v...ii1.l earnestly ap|>eal to those who ar.- interested in the iutttre generation of this Dominion or to whom the sutlerill"; of little babies brings personal pain, to h-lp in -tartinjr a strong branch of thi- Society in the Auckland district, and 1 -hall gratefully receive any subscription- which may be -ent to me for thi- ptirpo-e.