33

H.—3la

Influenza Epidemic Commission recommends " that instruction in hygiene, first aid, and home nursing be made compulsory in. schools for girls above the age of thirteen, and the first two for boys of the same age, and that thorough courses in hygiene and home nursing be given, in teachers' training colleges." In connection with the general question of education of the public on health matters, we draw attention to the suggestion of the leading health authorities in England that the Press might assist in this important work by the publication of a " Health Page " in our daily newspapers. The Press of New Zealand is well advanced in enterprise, and we trust will see the utility of this suggestion put to the test in our Dominion. Health of Children. The loss of so many valuable lives in the recent war and the disablement of many returned men, taken in conjunction with the returns of unfitness as shown by the medical examinations of recruits, point strongly to the need for giving full attention to the care of the health, of our children from babyhood upwards. Whilst much has already been done in the Dominion for the saving of child-life, largely through the activities of the Plunket Nurses, and though first steps have been taken in regard to the health examination of school-children, yet the matter of attention to school clinics is as yet scarcely entered upon. If an educational section. of the Health Department is established, as recommended in another part of this report, we submit that one of its duties will be to collect and collate all available information that can. be procured dealing with this question of the health. of children, in order to assist the Education Department towards adopting the very best plans of operation. Tt is very unwise economy to spend time and money upon the examination of the school-children —possible defects of sight, hearing, dentistry, or other —if the work is not to be proceeded with to the stage of curing, if possible, the defects found. As one of the best means of preserving the general health of our people we urge greater attention being given, to the health and constitutions of the children attending the schools, and the appointment of doctors and nurses by the Government to afford the advice and treatment which may be required. Assistance to the Order of St. John and Nursing Associations. The very great importance of nursing in all its branches, from the highly trained nurse to those receiving only minor training in home nursing, and the value of training in first aid, was very fully brought before us in evidence. During the time of the epidemic the Order of St. John (Association, and Brigade) did heroic work all over the Dominion, and the Nursing Associations existing in several districts gave equally good service. These associations, year in and year out, devote great energy and time in. giving lessons and special training in home nursing and. first aid and ambulance work. Out of their limited funds they have in most instances to rent buildings. They provide all furnishing, equipment, and materials, pay for medical lectures, and the financing of this work has to be met out of the small fees received from learners and small subscriptions from the general public. It is a serious matter to think how the people would have fared during the epidemic had it not been for the great and valued help of these associations. The Commission urges upon the Government that the educational section of the Health Department should directly concern itself with the education of the public—girls and women particularly —in the principles of hygiene, first aid, and home nursing, through such, agencies as the schools, the Order of St. John, the lied Cross Societies, the Nursing Associations, and the Women's National Reserve. In. this connection we strongly recommend for the favourable consideration of the Government the advisability of subsidizing organizations teaching first aid and home nursing, and specially placing the St. John Ambulance Association and Brigade on a financially strong-enough basis to enable it to extend its most useful work. One direction in which many of the branches of the Order of St. John arc in want is in not possessing buildings of their own where classes can be he'd, demonstrations given, and all the work- of the Order carried on. In the case of the City of Auckland we find that it possesses a very fine building for these purposes. The site, we understand, was given by the municipality, and it seems

5—H. 31a.