THE PLUNKET NURSE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 75, 24 April 1909, Page 6

THE PLUNKET NURSE.

A meeting of the committee of the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children was held in the Town Hall 011 Tuesday, when there were present: Mesilames Doekrill, 11. Okey, K. Matthews, J. 13. Roy, Chancy, Rudd, E. M. Smith, W. Ambury, W. L. Newman, Misses Grant, Hamerton, and Warnock (Plunket nurse j. Apologies were received from several ladies. The president read a letter she had received from the Hon. 1). Biiddo in reply to an application she had made to the Minister of Health for a proportionate share of the amount voted by Parliament for the assistance of the societies. The Minister stated' that lie was placing the letter before the Department for enquiry, and would advise later. The following report was read by .(he Plunket nurse, and considered very satisfactory by the committee:— "I have the honor to submit a report from March 1, 1!IU!), to present date (April 20). During the first two weeks 1 had only four patient?, but since then the number has increased to twenty-five. :of whom four .were entirely breast-fed", while three others were supplemented b\- cows' milk and water, various foods, etc., but after consultation the mothers were induced to supplement by using humanised milk, which proved of "rent benefit in all the cases. There are at present nine infants 011 humanised milk, all of whom are doing well, in spite of the fact that in almost every case severe diarrhoea and indigestion was suffered from, generally of long standing, the weight in these cases being far below the normal, t pon arrival, and later, 1 tested the temperature of the borough water-supply and found it to be never below liMeg— a most unsafe temperature, ns germs multiply rapidly in milk unless it has been cooled quickly until it is at least as low as uodeg. After consideration 1 interviewed the owner of the local dairying plant and made arrangements with him to allow of my | manufacturing at the factory, during the hot weather, the supply of human--1 ised milk needed for my patients. I hail great difficulty owing to want of conveniences, but in spite of obstacles succeeded, after to required temperature, in reducing rapidly to as low as 45deg, to which 1 attribute the success 1 have had in treating the severe intestinal and gastric troubles so prevalent here. There have been many severe cases of bronchitis and pneumonia among the children of New Plymouth particularly those suffering from castric disturbances. The distance between the cases is very great, some of them being fully a mile on each end of the town. Tliis causes great waste of time aild energy. It was considered wise to secure a room to be used for consultation purposes. The old reading-room at the Town .Hall has been used, at first thrice, and later twice .weekly. A demonstration of the making of humanised milk has been given weekly, and has evidently proved interesting, as many mothers have availed themselves of the opportunity given of seeing how very simple the process is, hitherto there has been a prejudice existing against its use because of the supposed difficulty and bother of making. I have paid 324 visits to the homes of my patients, and have written letters of instruction to three mothers who have applied to 111 c from a distance for advice. J think that after the end of the present month the temperature of the water supply should be low enough to admit of the mothers making the supply of humanised milk required for (heir infants, though I still think it would be of great benefit if some reliable person could be induced to make and sell it to those requiriti" it. I am, etc., Sadie Warnoek. pfunket Nurse." I