Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-11-04
The state Nursing Babies

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The State Nursing Babies +sa
The most gigantic specimen Of State nurse
which the world presents at this time is Russia.
The Government in that country is not only the
most paternal, but the most maternal Government
e1tant.
At Moscow and st. Petersburg, there are hos
ptals or asylums which now receive 80, 900 babies
every year. 4 part of these are born in these
asylums, and part brought to them after they
are born. The Moscow or mother establishment,
has been in operation since 1892 At first the in
mates we're few, but in 1867 the new corners for
the year reached the large number of Ia, 600. In
st. Petersburg the annual additions are still more
numerous. Since the establishment of these in
stitutions over half million Of babies have been
received to their mothcrly embrace, and the year
" additions are rapidly increasing.
The hospital at Moscow is building not less
than 900 feetlong, and Of dimensions three times
that OF the capitol at Washington. The Governor
ship of this institution is only second in Importance
to that of the city ITSELF and is always conferred
upon nobleman of distinguished rank and attain
ments. The ANIMAL expenses Of the hospital
amount to So, 100000. A portion Of the Govern
ment revenues are set aside for this purpose, in
addition to which successive Cars, as we'll as
private individual, have richly endowed It,. r:
The St. Petersburg hospital, though in the heart
eight acres Of ground. Upwards Of FIVE hundred
teachers are employed, many of them on very high
salaries. The number of nurses, servants and
other persons employed in the establishment,
amounts to upwards Of five thousand. The boys
and girls, both here and in Moscow, are taught
separately. The cost of their education alone, is
more than 81 ,00o 00c annually. The entire prop
erty devoted to the support, maintenance and ed
ucation Of foundlings in Russia, is said TO amount
to the enormous sum of FIVE hundred millions Of
dollars. All parts of the vast building are most
substantially and carefully constructed. Thewalls
are Of brick or stone, the floors are of marble or
glazed tiles to the corridors and the stair. cases
are Of iron: The courts enclose garden plots,
radiant with flowers. The arrangements for heat
ing and yentilatng are admirable. This descrip-
ton applies to both Of the establishments. j
or the children committed to the care Of these
noble charities, very large portion Of them are
the offspring Of poor married people, In all parts
Of the country. As the children may afterwards
be reclaimed, on certain conditions, and are in any
case assured Of as fortunate lot, at least, as
would have been theirs at home, the parents are
more easily led to take advantage Of this charity.
The child is taken without question, and therefore
no reliable statistics Of the public mortality can
be obtained from this source. aa
The Office is kept open night and day, and no
living child which is offered can be refused. The
only question asked is, whether it has beer bap-
tised. If not, the ceremony is immediately per-
formed in On adjoining room, by priest connect
ed with the institution, one of the oldest nurses
generally acting as god-mother. It's name and
number are then entered in the official book, card
containing them and the date Of its arrival is
attached to its neck, and another given TO- its
mother, so that it may afterwards Be identified
and reclaimed. Very frequently, the mother is
allowed to become its nurse in which case she re-
ceives pay like the other nurses. After six weeks
or two months in the institution 1t is sent to the
country, where it remains until old enough to re-
ceive instruction. The regular nurses are paid
$780, year, in addition to their board and lodging.
If the parents pay sum equal to $25 on the de-
position Of the infant, they entitled to have It
brought up exclusively within the walls Of the
institution, where it is more carefully attended TO
than elsewhere. The payment Of $500 procures
for it, if boy, the rank Of an officer. The pa
rents are allowed to see their children at stated
times, and many Of them take advantage Of this
permission. The greater part, however, live in
the provinces, and virtually give up their children
to the State; though it is always possible by con-
sulting the hospital directory, to find where the
latter are, and to recover them.
In the lying.in hospital all women are received
who apply. They are allowed to enter one month
before their confinement, and to remain afterward
until their health isentirely restored. Those who
wish to be unknown are concealed by O curtain
which falls across the middle of the bed, so that
their faces are never seen. Besides this, no one
Is allowed to enter the hospital, except those ac-
tually employed within it. The late Emperor,
70 Of
his desire to enter, on the representations of the
Governor The arrangements are said to be so
excellent that not only poor married women, but
many who are quite above the necessity Of such
charity, take advantage of 1t. In this case, slso
the number of children brought forth is no evil
dence as to the proportion Of illegitmate births.
1t is not obligatory upon the mother to leave her
child in the hospital; she may take II with her
if she chooses, bu: it will of course be received If
offered
The superintendents and teachers ore particu-
larly required to watch the signs Of any decided
talents in the children, and where such appears,
to develop it in the proper direction. Thus, ex-
cellent musicians, actors, painters, engineers and
Of various kinds, have been produced,
and the poor and uameless children Of Russia have
risen to wealth and distinction.
Besides the soldiers, common mechanics and
factory girls, WHICH tQe CnllQren OF orQtLRry Gu
pacity become, the Government has, Of late years,
established many of them as farmers and colonists
on the uncultivated crown lands. They are mated,
married, and comfortably settled in villages,
where, in addition to their agricultural labors,
they frequently take charge of q young generation
Of foundlings.
Bayard Taylor, the author of the account from
which we derive the foregoing, has good opinion
Of the moral effects of these institutions. They
prevent abortions and infanticdes without, on the
,ther hand, increasing licentiousness to degree
If evil that can be considered as at all Q counter
balance for the good they do.
The destruction of human life in embryo and
infancy in the United States Is probably greater
han anybody suspects. We have little doubt
hat even among Americans morality would gain
BY the establishment Of founding hospitals.
St. Louis Herald.
Complimentary.
We had the pleasure, yesterday, of inspecting,
It the Executive Office, the very handsome swords
7oted by the General Assembly to Mai Hill and