DR. ADA PATERSON

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20508, 26 May 1938, Page 6

DR. ADA PATERSON

A GREAT SOCIAL REFORMER DOMINION MEMORIAL PROPOSED Dr. Ada Paterson, whose untimely death occurred in October last was a pioneer in social service of a particularly practical type. She commenced to practise' medicine in Picton in 1906 and in the six years that she spent there she endeared herself to both Maori and pakeha. She then left to take a position in the Education Department as school health officer in Dunedin. In this pioneer post she displayed vision, energy and intense enthusiasm. She had, moreover, a distinct flair for administration, all of which eminently fitted her for a wider sphere of work. This was especially noted at the time of the influenza epidemic in 1918 when she was lent to the local health office in Wellington to assist in combating the' crisis. A few years later the school health service was transferred to the Health Department, and Dr. Paterson was promoted to charge of the Division of School Hygiene. The Good of Children In the fifteen years that she spent in this post she did an almost incredible amount of work in an entirely new field. Her annual reports give an illuminating insight into the variety of

problems with which she eleoted to deal, the clear judgment and practical common sense which she brought to bear upon them, and the concrete results which ye'ar by year crowned her work. Here are a few of the problems to which In those years she devoted her attention: Over fatigue resulting from home work; excessive hours,of labour for children; defective teeth; standard of physical development (comparing the town child with the country child in various surroundings) ; nutrition and growth; health conditions of? rural children; the relations of posture in relation to fatigue' and malnutrition; rheumatic fever in children; health of Maori children and susceptibility to disease; health of teachers; the physical conditions of the children of timber workers, miners and sharemilkers. With tne enthusiasm of a crusader she assailed such diverse problems as children’s lunches, rest periods and school gardens. Practically every investigation she entered upon resulted in definite benefit for the children. Local associations weta formed to provide hot cocoa and soup. A definite understanding was arrived at as to the real value of meat and vegetable sandwiches. An investigation of dental caries led step by step to the fine system of dental clinics which now obtains.

j Medical Examination Before School Age ■ j From such problems as these she . j was summoned to wider social inquir--1 ! ies, such as that on mental defectives , | and sexual offenders. She assisted to ■ | Inaugurate the mental schools at Eiohl j mond, Otekaike and Sumner, and to '• | ept special schools for mental defee- > lives and for the hard of hearing. Going hack to root causes, she inter- ■ ested kindergartens and orphanages in 1 the medical examination of children before school age. She had strong ! opinions on sex hygiene, believing that ’ it could best be dealt with in general • talks, followed by individual discus- • Sion with children, parents and ' I teachers. She was an official visitor a I tile Borstal Inslitution and her own office was a sort of psychological clinic. In 1934 Dr Ada’was called in to investigate the grievances of women workers at the Westfield slaughtering works and was able to make suggestions which materially helped towards a settlement. In 1933, when she represented New Zealand at the f.L.O. Conference, tier speech on child nutrition attracted the attention of the London Time's. But tlie outstanding monument to Dr. Paterson's work is probably the organisation of the health camps which now have become prominent in each of tlie provinces. Commencing with | tlie experiment at Ruakawa Camp at [ Otaki she worked day and night to , arouse the interest of others with results which are now obvious. Surely ! the rising generation of New Zealandj ers is under a great debt to tlie prescience and militant humanity of Dr f Paterson. I In connection with this health camp j movement an appeal is now being made jby a representative Dominion-wide I committee to commemorate Dr Paterj son's work. She was not merely an ! efficient and high-minded administrator I but a great social reformer, inspired

by wide vision and high humanitarian ideals. The committee which has the mem- | orial in hand proposes to provide for j some special requirements of the health camps in each of the centres > and to offer to a health camp or to the j National Gallery some artistic memorial j to Dr- Paterson.