MOTHER OF TEN WRITES

Sie,—A mother of ten children writes to me in most amusing and yet serious vein. Herewith some of her words: "If family allowances go through the State what might not happen? The world seems to me to be suffering nowadays from a mania for filling up forms. One district nurse said to me, ' I really believe I should get into more trouble for neglecting to fill up my forms than I should for neglecting a patient.'" Another question raised by my correspondent is that of medical attention to children. " I have recently had experience with a child who was perfectly healthy, but stood in a posture so that the spine was not quite straight when upright, but straightened when she bent over. The school doctor advised visiting a clinic to learn exercises to correct the posture. This being reasonable, I consented. When I got to the clinic the doctor at once paid more attention to her tonsils, which he said needed removing, than to the exercises. I refused to have the tonsils done as two other doctors had recently thoroughly examined her and passed her Al. Later on the child saw a different doctor at the clinic who somehow got hold of the wrong card and said that the child was fiat-footed and needed a wedge for her shoes!!! Heaps of money is paid to welfare clinics in wages for nurses, etc., which, in the opinion of a midwife ' would be better spent in the hands of the poor mothers, who most of them know quite well what to do for their children if only they had the means,'" Here is the last paragraph of the letter: "Please pray for us that we may have Grace in the upbringing of our children. whom God has blessed with health above the average and has given are a blessing which I treasure—the ability to breast-feed all ten." M. J. WALSH&