TO SAVE THE BABIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1917, Page 8

TO SAVE THE BABIES.

ADDRESSES AT WHTTELEY HALL. Whiteley Hall was filled to its utuost capacity last night, when addresses were given by Dr. Walker and the Rev. W. A. Sinclair, under the auspices of the New Plymouth Plunket Society, in connection with the Dominion "Baby Week" appeal. 'His Worship the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) presided. The Mayor expressed pleasure at seeing s 0 large a gathering. The meeting had been called in connection with the Dominion Baby Week organised by the central council of the Plunket Soeietv. It was also called in the interests of the local branch of the society which' had just been formed. There were three great requirements in connection with the newly-fonned branch—a nursing staff, money, and a strong and deep public interest, without which funds could not be raised to carry on. The Government would not consider the providing of a subsidy until the branch had at least £IOO for the present year. The work of caring for the well-being of fant life was true patriotic work, and was now more important than ever on account of the great loss of life caused by the present war. A GREAT HUMANITARIAN WORK. The Rev. W. A. Sinclair said: the State and the medical profession had joined hands in a great humanitarian work. The medical profession was, in the present time, particularly interested in the prevention of disease, and especially so in the case of children. The wealth of the State was dependent on child life. After the war it would be of greater importance than ever. The thought of Herod's massacre of the innocents shocked us, but a greater massacre was going on at the present time. New Zealand had the lowest infant mortality in the world, but no less than 1500 infants die in New Zealand every year. The reports of Dr. Eleanor Baker on the results of medical inspection of schools showed "some startling figures, and an alarming percentage of young men have been found unfit for military service. An adult was said to be worth £3OO to the State, and that amount multiplied by 1500 showed the coldblooded financial loss the State sustained yearly. No one performed such valuable services for the State as the mother. In the United States this was being realised, and a scheme had been evolved for the granting of pensions to women in need, for it was recognised that no matter how comfortable an institution was, it could not take the place of the home. The work of the Plunket Society was not only to care for the children but to educate the mothers as well. Their aim was to produce a sound mind in a sound body. In conclusion, the speaker stressed the point that the Plunket nurses not only worked in harmony with the medical profession, but they worked in obedience to them.

DR. WALKER'S ADDRESS. Dr. Walker said that at the present time, in the fourth year of the war, with its appalling destruction of human life, the cry of "Save the Babies" should awaken the deepest interest. The question was of world-wide importance. It could not be gainsaid that the power and welfare of a nation depended upon its natural resources, but these again depended upon an ample population to develop them. The procreative power of Germany had been used to the full in preparing for this terrible war upon civilisation. They had abused the power, but the full and proper use of an ample population was the surest root for national success and the fullest realisation of our usefulness in the world. By the British nation women had been regarded with respect for centuries, and never before had they occupied a more important place in the destiny of the nation. The war had made the disparity between the numbers of men and women more marked, and, furthermore, the employ" ment of women in nursing those who return and in occupations usually carried out by men, together with the number of men who will return maimed, will make the difference even more marked. Therefore, every possible means must be taken to improve conditions for the coming generation. Records kept over ten years showed that the alarming percentage of 39.3 of deaths occurred in Taranaki during the first fortnight after birth. Records of IQ.OOO consecutive births in America had been kept, and no less than 58 per cent, of the total deaths had occurred within the first two weeks of life. A means of reducing the terrible mortality during that first fortnight must be seriously considered, and the surest means would be adherence on the part of the mothers to the laws of hygiea—suitable diet, exercise, reasonable rest, avoidance of overwork and worry being all important details. New Zealand had not the grime and overcrowding of the older countries, but there was a decided clement of overwork. This was especially so in a district such as Taranaki, where women ; helped in the farm work, Overwork handicapped the child before birth, and interfered with the giving of natural nourishment when the child was born. The Plunket Society was educating womanhood, and it was strange that though' the educational system of the country had greatly advanced, this question was not dealt with in the schools, A guild of home helpers might well be formed to lighten the burden of mothers. The child's proper nourishment could only be obtained from its mother. Bacteriology had conclusively shown that a baby nourished in that way had greater powers of resistance to disease thin one artificially nourished. Moreover, there were not the many risks of contamination, and the feeding of the child must be essentially aseptic. The pernicious

dummy, in addition to being a cause of infection, tended to disfigure the soft cheek bones by continual sucking. The use of a tooth-brush was of the gTeat importance to the child in later years. A careful and firm control of the child from early days was in no wise incompatible with parental affection. A greai number of deaths arose from troubles that could be averted by proper care of the mother. Everything should be done to'make childbirth a natural process, for the sake of the child. The treatment known as "twilight sleep" had been introduced into some great American maternity hospitals, but had later been discarded, nqt in the interests of the mothers. but for the babies' sake. It must be admitted that present appearances confirmed the truth of the saying: "Tho days of large families are past." Possibly the shortage of population in some respects was a. direct cause of the present war. Germany would never have attacked France had the French population increased at the same rate as that of Germany since the war of 1870. The countries that had suffered from the ravages of war must appeal to the loyalty and patriotism of their women for their regeneration, and the call would not be made in vain. New Zealand was most favorably situated geographically; and its climatic advantages should make possible the development of a race of super-men, who would hold a position of pride among the peoples of the world. There was such a thing as heredity. Glorious traditions had been handed down, and heredity made it possible that we could hand them on again more glorious, and with an added lustre that would justify our existence upon the earth. At the conclusion of the meeting a collection was taken up for the Plunket Society fund, and the Mayor proposed a vote of thanks to the speakers, whlcb was carried by hearty acclamation.