"270 MEDICAL SECTION 



number of cases themselves, and they took the average of 

 all these. The way they arrived at the particular curve 

 which Dr. Naish referred to was by adopting the method of 

 an engineer in dealing with the speed of a steamer. As to 

 what had been said on the variations of different climates 

 the standards arrived at in Germany were absolutely appli- 

 cable in New Zealand. He was prepared to submit their 

 case books. He had their records showing that children 

 did require these things. At the time he left New Zealand 

 there were twenty-three babies in hospital, and he was 

 prepared to show that each case came up to a definite 

 standard. He would not suggest for a moment that any- 

 thing arbitrary should be laid down, but at any rate the 

 result of telling a woman that at 5 months of age the child 

 weighed so much, and in giving her the definite requirements 

 of the child, had been such as he had shown them. They 

 had found from the hospital records that there was just as 

 much law regarding the feeding of children as there was 

 with regard to the feeding of the lower animals. It was, of 

 course, a matter which one could not further explain there, 

 but he was 'prepared to submit the books and records in 

 support of what he had said. He certainly had hoped that 

 it might be possible in connection with a Conference of that 

 kind to lay down what would be the average requirements 

 of children under the conditions of temperate countries like 

 New Zealand and England. The idea that there was any 

 wide divergence between England and New Zealand in 

 regard to climate was wrong. They were islands of very 

 similar size, and they found that the laws which obtained 

 in England also obtained in New Zealand, and as he had 

 said, the standard arrived at in Germany and the standards 

 arrived at in America applied. That had been their great 

 guide with regard to the matter. 



SECOND SESSION, AUGUST 4. 



At the afternoon session Sir GEORGE NEWMAN (Medical 

 Officer of the Board of Education) presided. 



CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. 



Sir GEORGE NEWMAN : Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel it 

 a great honour to be asked to preside this afternoon. I 

 presume that it is because of my interest in infant mortality 

 in the old days, and because of my interest in children and 

 my responsibilities with regard to them now, that I have 

 been asked to preside. I think the Conference has cause 

 to congratulate itself upon many things. In thfe first place 



