CONTRASTS IN PHY QUE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2554, 16 July 1909, Page 3

CONTRASTS IN PHY QUE.

MAORI AND PAKEHA. CARELESS TREATMENT OF BABIES Some fairly extensive observation's of Maori, and Europeans boys, from 10 to 16 years of age, living in the same districts, Lave revealed some interesting facts (says the “Wellington Post”). At 'lO years of ago the pa-keha boy is taller than his Maori contemporary, but is lighter. Between 15 and 16 the brown grows more quickly than tho white, and at 16 they are about tho same height, but the Maori is a stone heavier. The Maori looks the sturdier youth at this time, but it is probable that in tho power of resistance to disease the Maori is much inferior to tho European. Discussing. Commander Blunt’s recent remarks about the physique of New Zealanders, a Wellington medical man, well qualified to speak! said that though Hie general average of healthinoss and sturdinless must necessarily compare ‘more than favorably with the standards of England, for example, where largo congested cities wero a serious handicap, there wore influences and faults in New Zealand likely to have pernicious effects on the rising generation. “There is too much bad dieting, though not so much as in America,” he said. “Hero is an example of what I mean. It is an infant out in the country. It should be healthy and strong, but is found to be sickly, peaky, and weak. You discover that the mother is not ■nursing the baby herself, and it is fed, uninteiligcntly. with various preparations. When the child gets a little bigger it lives on tea and tinned meat, and rubbish like that; consequently it is ill developed, and may even he injured by over-work. If a boy is properly fed ho will not be damaged by carrying a }>ail of milk, hut an ill-fed child may suffer.” This critic remarked that in passing through America one could not fail to lie impressed by the number of sicklylooking, weedy children, for this lack of robustness he blamed the lollies, the ices, and other sweets lavished on the youngsters. Similar unhealthy pampering was far too prevalent in New Zealand. Another authority remarked that 'many chidlren we.ro afflicted from spinal curvature, due to their mother’s carelessness. “Infants,” he declared, “are hawked about too much. The little things do not get enough rest. Tho mothers seem too impatinet or too unintelligent to let their babies lie on their hacks and kick. The okl-fashioncd mothers are careful to give the babies rational rest and rational exercise, but very many of the modern mothers have not a- pro Der regard for the tender little frames. The babies are ‘bobbed about’ and made to sit up on adults’ knees or other places, long before their bac-'ks are sufficiently strong.”