1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 33
R E P O R T O F C H I L D W E L F A R E A N D P U B L I C H E A L T H .
T h e w o r k of t h e C h i l d Welfare a n d P u b l i c H e a l t h C o m m i t t e e seems t o touch
u p o n the w o r k of so m a n y other committees that as M r s , M c G r e g o r S m i t h has
s a i d , we have f o u n d i t necessary to m a k e a d i v i s i o n of i t , for t h a t reason 1 a m not
r e p o r t i n g hot lunch, p l a y g r o u n d equipment or C h r i s t m a s Trees. Important as
t h a t w o r k is, i t p r o p e r l y belongs to o t h e r committees.
We have t r i e d t o confine our C h i l d W e l f a r e w o r k e s p e c i a l l y t o the h e a l t h of the
c h i l d . For i f we g i v e h i m a l l else a n d he has not h e a l t h , he i s s e r i o u s l y h a n d i c a p p e d.
Some one has s a i d we are at t h e t h r e s h o l d of t h e i d e a t h a t t h e c h i l d is t h e b u i l d i ng
stone of the c o m m u n i t y i n a democracy where each has a r i g h t to be well born.
T h e same r i g h t t o m o r a l a n d p h y s i c a l h e a l t h as t o a n e d u c a t i o n , a n d the c o m m u n i ty
p r o v i d e for these r i g h t s , t a k i n g up the r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s at the p o i n t where the know­ledge
a n d resources of the f a m i l y cease. S t a r t i n g w i t h the n e g a t i v e a t t i t u d e of
p r e v e n t i o n of d e a t h and disease we have progressed to the p o s i t i v e a t t i t u d e of
H e a l t h for e v e r y c h i l d.
W h i l e we remember what is due the c h i l d , I w o u l d not have our committee
forget the second phrase of o u r name, " P u b l i c H e a l t h . "
I have not h a d reports f r om a l l o u r C o n s t i t u e n c i e s , but f r om those t h a t have
r e p o r t e d we find the B r a n c h e s have been d o i n g a great deal of relief work, g i v i ng
c l o t h i n g , food a n d assistance for m e d i c a l care i n needy cases. Assistance has also
been g i v e n to h o s p i t a l s , A r m e n i a n R e l i e f a n d R e d C r o s s.
H E A L T H E D U C A T I O N.
M o s t Branches are doing some health e d u c a t i o n a l work, h a v i n g papers on
p r e - n a t a l care, goiter, its cause a n d p r e v e n t i o n , teaching sex hygiene, orthapedic
defects, g i v i n g first aid demonstrations, h o l d i n g n u r s i n g classes and baby clinics.
A t B a r n w e l l , as a result of the e d u c a t i o n a l w o r k done b y the W . I . t h e y have
h a d a v e r y successful d e n t a l c l i n i c . A s u r v e y was first made of the p u p i l s of the
s c h o o l . It was f o u n d t h a t out of 106 p u p i l s , o n l y t h r e e d i d not r e q u i r e dental work.
T h e work was done at a reduced price, the parents p a y i n g one- half of the cost,
t h e d i s t r i c t school b o a r d p a y i n g the other half.
A t D r u m h e l l e r t h e W . I . h a d t h e h o n o r of h e l p i n g t o m a k e t h e a r r a n g e m e n t s f or
the first public h e a l t h nurse established under the G o v e r n m e n t ' s new p l a n . 1
w o u l d suggest that the W . I . l o o k i n g for n u r s i n g assistance i n t h e i r c o m m u n i ty
s h o u l d i n v e s t i g a t e the D i s t r i c t P u b l i c H e a l t h N u r s e p l a n.
One B r a n c h wishes t o e n d ow a bed i n a M u n i c i p a l H o s p i t a l .
G a r r i n g t o n has an emergency l i n e n chest for the use of t h e i r sick. Another
far f r om m e d i c a l assistance has purchased a r e l i a b l e D o c t o r B o o k for c o m m u n i ty
use.
M a n y I n s t i t u t e s h a v e fostered the e s t a b l i s h m e n t of J u n i o r R e d C r o s s B r a n c h e s.
We believe t h i s is a v e r y h e l p f u l work, for i t i n t e r e s t s the c h i l d r e n i n p l a y i n g the
R e d C r o s s H e a l t h G a m e , w h i c h , as y o u c o u l d r e a d i l y see f r om M r s . S m i t h ' s H e a l th
P l a y , secures the co- operation of c h i l d r e n i n h e a l t h work.
B a b y C l i n i c s are p r o v i n g v e r y beneficial, a n d have been h e l d b y i n d i v i d u al
branches, a n d have also been t a k e n u p as C o n s t i t u e n c y w o r k . One C o n s t i t u e n c y,
h a v i n g h a d t h em for three successive years, u n t i l at one of o u r last series o n l y two
c h i l d r e n were f o u n d i n some 236 e x a m i n e d who showed that t h e y were suffering
f r om m a l n u t r i t i o n . This i n the v e r y heart of the m u c h t a l k e d of d r y d i s t r i c t of
S o u t h e r n A l b e r t a.
A n o t h e r result of these c l i n i c s is a general insistence t h a t we must find some
way to have such o p e r a t i o n s p e r f o r m e d as are f o u n d necessary.
A t h i r d result is a m i l k c a m p a i g n b e i n g c a r r i e d o n j o i n t l y w i t h t h e Economic.
C o m m i t t e e as f o l l o w - u p w o r k .
I might say here that M i s s M c M i l l a n t o l d me last night t h a t the lecture she
gave us f o l l o w i n g the B a b y C l i n i c is n ow a v a i l a b l e f o r use i n t h e I n s t i t u t e s.
Some of our o r g a n i z a t i o n s tire of a l l t h i s t a l k of C h i l d Welfare and P u b l ic
H e a l t h , b u t the need is so great. Glance at y o u r Y e a r B o o k of C h i l d Welfare in
C a n a d a , ( by t h e w a y I hope t h i s is n o t a n o t h e r r e p o r t pigeon- holed) and see t h a t we
s t a n d i n our m a t e r n a l d e a t h rate s e v e n t e e n t h i n a l i s t of seventeen nations.
D r . S t a b l e y s a i d i n a former session of L e g i s l a t u r e t h a t the loss i n i n d u s t ry
t o the P r o v i n c e o f A l b e r t a f r om t u b e r c u l o s i s alone was a p p r o x i m a t e l y t w o m i l l i on
d o l l a r s a year. T h i s gives y o u but a glimpse of the t e r r i b l e losses of p r e v e n t i b le
diseases. We are a w a k e n i n g to these losses, s l o w l y i t is true, but s t i l l we are begin­n
i n g to r e a l i z e chat i f we need settlers so b a d l y as t o necessitate s p e n d i n g large sum;;