ILL-NOURISHED.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1919, Page 6

ILL-NOURISHED.

CHILDREN IN AUCKLAND A MEDICAL INSPECTOR'S VIEWS, Auckland, Sept. 15. The reference made liy Mr. George at the Technical Schools' Con* ference as to the number of ill-nourished eliildrcn he had noticed in Auckland waa rcfeierd to by Dr. Ethel' Sands, Medical Inspector of Schools in the province, whose opinion coincided with that of! Mr. George. "Dining the course of school inspect tion," she said, "I have often been struck! with the evidence of sub-normal nourishment among both boys and girls; in fact, it was one of the first points I noticed when I canie to Auckland two years ago. I have never before seen such a lean, ill-nourished type of child. They were much fatter and stronger! looking in the southern districts from .which I.came. It may be due in soma measure to tho Auckland climate, but I think it is in much greater measure due to wrong feeding. I would not altogetre agree it was under-feeding that was the trouble, but the lack of knowledge or ability on the part of the mothers to give the children the food their bodies needed." Dr. Sands agreed that the high cost of living was undoubtedly directly responsible for much of the ill-nourishment she had noticed. The cost of all the foods with the high* est nutritive value —milk, eggs, butter ( bacon, grains, fruits, and vegetables-* was such as to render it absolutely impossible at present for many mothers t« feed their children as growing children should be fed. "At the same time," she remarked, "I certainly think the poo* mothers could make better use qf the foods that are still relatively cheap. Porridge, for instance, is not eaten by children nearly as much as it should be.* 1 Dr. Sands made it clear that there WBJ a distinct difference between ill-nourish-ment and actual malnutrition in cWI« dren. She had observed very few cases of the latter, which was more of «H actual malady than a condition of health. Other factors mentioned by Dr Sands as contributing to the poor physique of many of the scholars were the baa conditions in many of the schools and incorrect clothing of tho children. Some of them wore too much, some too little. The practice of dressing little girls in the scantiest of clothing was bad. Children who habitually went to school bare- ' footed and bare-legged became hardened to it, although it was frequently a pitiable sight to see their little limbs blue with cold. Many children had only the one pair of boots, however, and H was better to be bare-footed than to sit in wet footwear. The best way would certainly be for them to Tun to 6chool barefoot, and put on shoes and stockings afterwards. Having dealt with the main-causes of the lack of robust health, Dr. Sands spoke of its effects. "These are very noticeable in many schools," she said, "the muscular condition being poor. We are at once confronted with the postural defects so easily acquired ifl childhoodstooping shoulders, flat chests, curvature of the spine, and often a lassitude and tendency to anaemia. The medical examination of recruits during the war i-howed only too clearly how far these defects had been carried into the young manhood of the Dominion. Undoubtedly the health of many of the children will be bettered when conditions at the schools themselves are improved, while i a reduction in the high price of the necessaries of life and more knowledge among the mothers to make the best use ' of them would be of most value of all in the building up of Auckland children into robust ; healthy boys and girls."