MOTHERHOOD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2652, 6 November 1909, Page 5

MOTHERHOOD.

LECTURE BY DR. D. HASTINGS YOUNG.

There was a good attendance of ladies in the Masonic Hall last night, when, under the auspices of the Cook County Women’s Guild, Dr. D. Hastings Young delivered a lecture, the first of a series, and which was entitled “Motherhood, its Duties arid Responsibilities.” The lecturer pointed out that a great deal was made out of the duty of people in regard to the State and their civic duties as citizens of a town, but in these days there appeared to bo an utter neglect to the call of duty’ in the matter of rearing children. The South African war by battle and disease had cost the lives 0f'22,000 men, but preventable mortality amongst infants in Great Britain totalled nearly as many every month, yet little was said, and still less done, "to prevent it. One quarter of the general mortality of England occurs amongst infants under one yepi r old, in other words, out of every 66 born, 10 of the babies die. This was not zo in Australia and New Zealand,' but while the climate might have an appreciable effect, ho held that it was due to the higher condition of education existing amongst the masses. The higher mortality was chiefly due to food diseases, .stomach and bowel troubles, which were classed as preventible diseases, but the query naturally arose: If these diseases are preventible, why are they not prevented? The two main factors in the causes of the high mortality amongst infants were bottle feeding and maternal ignorance. Bottle feeding was greatly on the increase amongst both rich and poor. It was so amongst the rich because of the growing lack of maternal responsibility, and a tendency to undue gaiety, also on account of the fact that few women realised that it was not alone a duty but the highest privilege of a mother to nurse her own Child, and thus give it its proper birthright. Amongst the poor it was on the increase owing to circumstances over which, in the majority of cases, they had no control, such as going out to work for a living, etc. .As things are, continued the lecturer, as time goes on the Anglo-Saxon nation must come to be a narion of milkless mothers, because of •Cue milk glands degenerating during each generation, and atrophying through disuse. As an example, he stated that during the siege of Paris in 1870, while the general mortality increased by 100 per cent., due to want of food, bad sanitation, etc., it was an important fact that infantile mortality decreased‘by 40 per cent. Proceeding, Dr. Young said that the State was recognising "Its obligation in the matter of technical schools to teach typewriting music, painting, etc.y and while there was talk of establishing kindergartens, and an expressed desire to develop a certain type of domestic help, yet the. ail-important fact of teaching prospective mothers their duties and obligations to their infants, was left entire! v to chance. The lecturer dealt at length with the necessity of a mother suckling 3:er own child in order to cope with the ever-increasing mor-talit-v. to take care of her own health for tne sake oY the little ene % and pointed out that heredity was a forceful influence in enabling a- mother to- suckle her own child. Dealing with infants’ food, he compared human milk with cow’s milk, and claimed that tne latter even when diluted was not a proper food, as although it contained all the constituents of "mother’s milk, it did not contain them in the proper proportion. In-conclusion, Dr. Young made reference to what he termed tlie second, best food, humanised'Anuk, and promised. at his next lecture; on Friday night next, to give a practical demonstration or" its manufacture and preparation. At the conclusion of a most instructive lecture, a number_ of questions were put, and several matters wereclearly explained to the ladies present; by the lecturer.