You can read the previous part in the Growing up in New Zealand 1925 - 1950 series
here, or read the articles from the original Growing Up in New Zealand series.
Ideas on how to keep well and how to treat sickness have changed in many
ways but a lot of the old practices and superstitions still have their
supporters. Luckily few people still insist on their children, especially
their sons, having cold baths every morning. The hated spoonful of
codliver oil or other such remedies has given way to a tablet or capsule -
a welcome improvement.
Standard remedies
For minor illnesses there were standard remedies. Doses of castor oil were
given for abdominal pain. Aspro was the remedy for headaches. Lane's
Emulsion or halibut oil capsules or malt (all revolting!) were to build up
resistance to winter ailments. Some children were given a weekly dose of
brimstone and treacle to purify the gut. For constipation common remedies
were liquorice powder, Nyalls Figsen (Californian Syrup of Figs), cascara
evacuant or senna pods.
Bonnington's Irish Moss or Baxters Lung Preserver were administered for
coughs and colds, and Throaties, Lixoids, lemon juice and honey, or
eucalyptus on sugar or gargling with Condy's Crystals were to help sore
throats. Vicks Vaporub was rubbed on the chest for a chesty cough or Wonder
Wool was worn under the clothes. Inhalations over a bowl of boiling water
and some Friars Balsam were used to loosen phlegm and clear the nose and
chest. Hardy's Indigestion Powder or baking soda in hot water were for
indigestion. Dinnefords Magnesia was used to bring up babies' wind.
Reckitts Blue Bags were rubbed on bee stings. Judy recalls the fizzing
when peroxide was poured into her ear when she had earache.
There were no antibiotics until the late 40s.. Warm poultices made of
antiphlogistine were placed on muscle strains and sprains, and to clear
infected areas. Bandages were made out of old sheets or flour bags and
washed and re-used. They were held in place with safety pins. Margaret
recalls that she had to wear one of her father's socks around her neck when
she had swollen glands.
To clean our teeth some of us used Gibbs Dentifrice, a cake of pink cleaner
in a round aluminium tin. Others used a mixture of salt and baking soda.
Common ailments
Childhood ailments including measles, whooping cough, chicken pox, scarlet
fever and even diphtheria were not uncommon. Infant vaccinations had not
begun. Our doctors and parents believed that long convalescence was
important. Catching mumps meant three weeks in bed. Judy A remembers
being kept in bed for weeks after surgery for appendicitis and not being
allowed to run or to ride a bike for a year.
Roger Ballantyne and
Cyril mention having sulphur
burnt in the room to prevent the infection spreading during the influenza
epidemic at the end of World War 1. This practice continued and Judy
remembers it being burnt on a shovel in the room or screwed in paper and
carried smoking around the house.
We always hoped that we would not catch those infections that were found
rather humiliating because they were considered the problems of 'dirty
children' - ringworm, impetigo, worms and nits in the hair.
Special Fever Hospitals took patients for fevers including diphtheria and
scarlet fever. Diphtheria tended to leave the patient with problems with
the nervous system. For scarlet fever patients were kept in hospital for
six weeks and only allowed to speak to visitors through the window for fear
of the contagion.
Children who were admitted to the children's ward in a general hospital
were not allowed visitors, even their parents, except once a week on Sunday
afternoon.
Seeing the doctor
For anything more serious the doctor called at the house or a visit could
be made to the doctor's surgery (usually at his home). No appointment was
needed. The doctor had set times for these surgery consultations. Often
the doctor (almost always a man) would dispense the necessary medicine
himself!
For a home visit the correct procedure was to have white towels ready and
to be certain that the bathroom, especially the hand basin, was spotlessly
clean.
General practitioners delivered most babies. There were a number of private
nursing homes for maternity care. Mothers usually remained in the nursing
home for about two weeks.
Hospitals and nursing homes smelt strongly of ether or chloroform which was
used for anaesthetics, of disinfectant, or of floor polish.
Plunket Society
Sir Truby King had established the Plunket Society which provided support
for mothers and babies. When mother and baby returned home the Plunket
nurse would call every week for six weeks and then mother and baby would
visit the Plunket Rooms every month and the baby's weight and progress
would be recorded in a book. Plunket systems of that date have since been
widely criticised, but the contact with the Plunket nurse gave women,
especially first time mothers, a sense of security.
The branches of the Plunket Society had to raise funds to support the
service and the membership of Plunket groups provided sociability for
women, especially those who had moved to live in a different part of the
country.
Karitane nurses
Sir Truby King lived at Karitane near Dunedin so the name Karitane was
given to the training system and the hospitals established for the care of
mothers, babies and young children.
Karitane nurses were trained in the care of babies and pre-school children
in an eighteen month course in the main centres. These nurses were
employed in private homes by the well-to-do or worked in the neo-natal
wards in hospitals, or in Karitane hospitals for mother and babies with
health problems, especially difficulties with feeding.
The course included cooking healthy meals for children as in private casing
a nurse might have sole charge of the children while the parents were
away.
Polio epidemics
Poliomyelitis epidemics occurred about every five or six years and the
schools were closed for some weeks each time. I remember them at the end
of 1936, early in 1943 and at the end of 1947. Travel from the affected
areas was restricted and places where children would congregate, like
cinemas or swimming baths, were closed.
James recalls being taken with his brother away from Dunedin to a
relative's farm in the country. The day after they drove there road blocks
were set up and they would not have been allowed to travel. Once at the
farm they were in quarantine until the epidemic was over.
Children affected often had a badly withered leg and had to wear a leg
brace for life. Vaccinations for polio were introduced in the 50s.
School nurses
Nurses employed by the Health Department visited schools and checked on
children's height and weight, sight, hearing and cleanliness, particularly
checking their hair for signs of lice. Margaret didn't know what the
visits were for when she was first at school and was very envious of the
children who got a note from the nurse to take home.
Public Health nurses visited the Maori communities and attended to babies
and school children.
Children whose health was causing serious concern would be sent to Health
Camps where they followed a regular routine of exercise and early nights
and wholesome meals designed to send them home in a better state of
health.
Dental nurses
School dental nurses were introduced in the 1940s. Usually one dental
clinic was shared amongst a number of neighbouring schools. In the earlier
years dentists followed up with treatment for the children whose teeth
needed attention. Later in the period fillings were done by the dental
nurse using a pedal powered drill. The treatment was free. The children
called the clinic 'the murder house'.
Dentist visits
Visiting the dentist was much more of an endurance test than it is today.
Barbara T has vivid memories of visits to the dentist.
"I could smell the dentist's rooms from the outside as the smell of gas
wafted through everywhere. This was used for the pulling of teeth: a
rubber 'gag' would be placed between your teeth so that you would not bite
your tongue and to keep your jaws open while you were under the gas, and a
rubber black 'mask' with an awful smell would be placed over your nose and
mouth and gas pumped into you until you 'drifted off'. There was a gauge on
the machine which I suppose was adjusted as to age and height/weight of the
patient, but it must have been a fairly risky business. Afterwards you
'came to' and most people were sick at that point. I had several teeth out
this way and can still remember vividly the smell and the rubber mask.
"Then the dreaded drill, so rough and noisy that it reminded you of the
street drill. It could often hit the gum or, worst of all, a nerve. That
is one thing I wouldn't want to return from the past."
Local anaesthetics were the alternative to gas for some dentistry, but the
injection of these anaesthetics was really painful.
Teeth extraction very common
Many people had all their teeth removed and were fitted with dentures when
they were quite young. It was regarded as an economy measure as it saved
paying for visits to the dentist. Many men in the armed forces had their
teeth removed as they were then fitted with a denture without cost.
Go on to part four!
