OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2556, 17 July 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

OUR BABIES.

(By liygeia.) , Published under the auspices of the Society for th© Promotion of the Health of Women and Children. HEALTH AND HAPPINESS, A LECTURE FOR WOMEN. DR. TRUBY KING’S ADDRESS. *NoT 11. i Following is the conclusion of Dr. King’s address, the first portion of which appeared in last -week’s issue:— .POISONS. Dr. King went on to speak of the growth of plants arid animals, and the growth of and nutrition of nerve cells in particular. Numerous slides were given, and it Was explained how the nerve cells, being suspended in the blood stream —or rather in the lymph transuded from the blood, —were exceedingly susceptible to any change in its composition. This was shown by the paralysing of the higher colls when chloroform or other poisons were breathed or swallowed. Similarly, alcohol, produced %r the action of the yeast microbe on ■sugar, rapidly affects the nervous system. Further, ma,ny poisons produced in the alimentary canal by organisms which flourisned there if the passage of material along the intestine was unduly delayed gave rise to poisons of an extremely devitalising and depressing kind. With very few exceptions indeed the persons who had to bo sent to asylums ivere suffering from such poison, due in a .arge proportion of cases to insufficient contact with the open air,, insufficient exercise, carelessness as to food, etc. He scarcely need remind them of the depressing effects of constipation, because there were few women who were not affected in this way under the complex hamperings and restrictions, which were a part, but not an inevitable part, of our modern civilisation.

It was shown that the energy and vitality of the ’Japanese was essentially due to their being more primitive than ourselves, and the fact that the great mass of the population lived as agriculturists, mainly in the open air, and with nothing in the way of lower animals or machinery to help them. Of course, we could not, ourselves, revert to such a condition of life, but there was no reason in a country like New Zealand why everyone should not have a reasonable amount of healthy outdoor exercise and recreation. He strongly recommended the formation of healthy habits in the young, especially the daily habit of cold bathing, followed by active exorcise for, say, 20 minutes. In addition there should be an hour spent in open air exercise during some part of every- day—-wet or fine. Young men were- so trained in connection with the best public schools in the Old Country, and it was said by a. leading educational authority that this should be so ingrained a habit that any neglect of it would be regarded with a' sense of shame similar to what would be felt if ordinary cleanliness were not observed. The one thing was as much a duty as the other —indeed, so far as health was concerned, the influence of bathing and outdoor exercise was infinitely more important for health. If this was so with men, it was even more so with women, because in their caso* the bodily functions w’ere more exacting and infinitely more important to the race. The contribution of man towards parenthood was utterly insignificent compared with the contribution of women. No doubt patriotism was all important in women as well as in men, but the most practical form of patriotism for women was that which showed itself in the motherhood of a healthy race.

THE CAPRICE OF FASHION. Reference Avas next made to the limitations of exercise and devclojiment Avliicli had been brought about, especially in tbo case of Avomen in our oavii race, by utter unreasonableness of dress. It was shown liow the mere caprice of fashion had A-aried from time to time ; how in the time of the Plantagenets the shoes of tlie nobles were absurdly pointed; lioav, in -tbo time of the Tudors the opposito extreme prevailed, and the shoes Ai r ere disproportionately broad in front and padded in such a Avay as to give the foot a gouty look; how in the time of Elizabeth high heels Avere introduced, and starched garments, corsets, etc. It was shown that courtiers vied with tlio Avomen in tightlacing. which continued doAvn to our oavii time, as shown by Tennyson’s scathing -reference to Bulnver Lytton. “The padded man avlio wears the stays.” Since men have come to regard such bodily restrictions Avith scorn and contempt and since nothing- was considered more unmanly, why should it not be considered umvomanly for the Avoman to so hamper her organs as to greatly injure her oavii health, happiness, and effectiveness in life, besides inflicting untold disabilities and suffering on her progeny 7, if she had any. Certain aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the body Avere next dwelt on, and it was sboAvn by means of a series of illustrations derived from the most recent and highest authorities on the subject that the effect- of the restraint habitually imposed by Avomen on the free moA r ements of tlie chest and abdomon' resulted, not only in great restriction in regard to breathing and lack of muscular development, hut drove the abdominal organs doAvnwarde in such a way as to entirely pervert their furictions in many oases. AN AMAZING OPERATION.

A most striking and startling instance of this. Avas shown in the effect on tlie large intestine. A composite Rongten Ray pint -a; h of 100 women, taken by Dr Paucoast, of Philadelphia, showed the- large intestine carried doAvn from its normal level about the naval to tlie brink of the pelvis. During the last five .years a- neiv operation had arisen in surgery, and a now book:— “Hie Operatwe The-atment of Constipation,” by a great abolition surgeon, iiad appeared. Tlio operation Avas the removal of nearly the avliolo of tlie large intestine for disabilities brought about in the Avay be had described. The intestine became so- kinked, distorted, distended, and displaced, that normal passage outwards of tlie intestinal contents became impossible, and putrefaction ensued, causing poisoning of the whole organism. The clearing of the complexion and restored activity and vitality w’ueli resulted from the excision of the displaced organ Avas remarkable; lint avlio could suggest that an irreparable loss .Avas not suffered Avbcn such extensive tracts Avere cut away, seeing that even the tiny appendix Avas held by great authorities t-o be an organ which should not be sacrificed unless there was real necessity. It was slioavu that the rest of the abdominal organs shared these displacements, including the liver and kidneys.

They- were all familiar with the term, “floating kidney,” which was comparatively common in Avomen, but they were not aware that the condition was generally only a part of the more Avide-sprea-d displacement. Noav, if these tilings took place with regard to the organs contained in the and middle) parts of the abdomen, what must be the fate of those situated in lvhat was called the pelvic basin. The pelvic basin was not a basin in the ordinary sense. It was a basin Avith the bottom cut out of it, and replaced by soft muscular and fibrous tissue. What was bound to happen, they alii knew did happen—namely, that in the majority of Avomen there were saggings and pelvic* displacements Avhicli interfered more or less -gravely \yith the Health and happiness. ' If the muscles and organs generally were- properly developed in girlhood, , and if reasonable attention were given "to hygiene arid bodily health, they could do away with these special disabilities of women. A woman with a normal set of abdominal organs was scarcely to be met with nowadays, and lie doubted whether in the whole multitude before him there was one -woman Avhose feet had not been great!v damaged by boots which took little or no account of the design of this marvellous piece of mechanism. Without good 1 feet and comfortable shoes the best form of exercise was rendered irksome, and they must always bear in mind that to get the fullest benefit from exercise it should be enjoyable. Speaking to a fashionable London audience, Professor Romanes had raid:—

I am sure that there are very few among you avlio could walk five or six miles a day Avithout fatigue. This merely slioavs to Avlfat a state of enervation habitual neglect of exercise has reduced you. Such enfeebled persons ought to begin at once to give their constitutions some chance of recovery; they ought regularly to take as much exercise as they can without distressing fatigue; and ill a fe'iY months they Avould be surprised to find how greatly the lengths of their walks may Ire increased, and with Avliat immense benefit they are attended. Remember that feelings are no safe guide as to the amount of muscular exercise that is requisite for maintaining full - and sustained health. By habitual neglect of sufficient exercise - the sj'stem may, and does, accommodate itself to such neglect; so that not only may the desire for exercise cease to be a fair measure of its need, but positive exhaustion may attend a much smaller amount of exercise than is necessary to long continuance of sound health. HoavCA'er strong and a veil, therefore, a Avonran may feel, notAvithstanding her neglect of exercise, she ought to remember that she is Maying a dangerous game, and that sooner or later her sin avIII find her out, in the form of either dyspepsia, lh-er, kidney, o-r other disease, Avhieh so surely creep upon the offender against Nature’s laws of health. Next only to air and food, muscular exercise is of all things most essential to the vitality of the organism. Reverting to the grave disabilities which women brought on themselves and on the race' as the combined result of neglect of regular habits, fresh air, and good food, exercise and freedom from bodily restrictions, Dr. King said he did not mean to suggest for a moment that the Avomen themselves was directly responsible for this state of matte re. The fault lay Avith the organisation of oiir modern civilisation and society. They had been kent in utter ignorance of the things Avhicli Avere most essential for themselves, and for the race. Noav that knowledge was being forced upon them, there was 110 longer any excuse for allowing the rising generation to carry on tlie OA'il tradition of the last century’. So far as the Avomen of to-day Avere concerned, it Avas fortunate that it Avas neA’cr too late to mend. They could not become what they might liaA r e been, and it was wonderful lioaa' much could be done,, even by middle-aged human beings, to restore health- and vitality if they’ would only 7 conform, howewer tardily, to the laws of Nature,

Finally, the lecturer made a strong appeal to liis hearers to bear in mind that the great sphere of Avoman’s happiness and influence must always lie in the homo. The education that made for health- and domesticity Avas in the highest interests of woman herself, and they should neA-er forget- that the form of training Avhicli sent- a girl out into tlie Avorld Avith a sound mind in a sound body ga\ T e her also the best chance in the battle of life if slie should have to earn her oavii living. Nothing could be more shortsighted than the sacrifice of future aa’O man hood to 1 the stress of competitive- examinations and the fugith'e superficial attainments or accomplishments of the schoolroom. The ultimate capability of tlie individual, even from a. mental point of A’iew, Avas best arrived at by due attention to tlie claims of both- body and mind —especially during the rapid groAvth of adolescence. As degards the highest aspirations of the spirit, altruism Avas recognised, even from a scientific and evolutional point of A’iew, as the outgroAvth of family life. A child started Avith pure selfishness, but through love ’of home and parents, love of mates, love of children, love of family, clan, and country, avc arrived untimately at a broadening interest and sympathy in the Avelfare of all mankind. Women are naturally more unselfish than men, and unselfishness marked the highest development of home life.