The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-27

FEARFUL MORTALITY AMONG CHnDREN.-O
the large number of 10 deaths in the city O.
New York during the last week, the alarming
proportion of 442 were of children under two
years Of age, and of that number las died Of
cholera infantum and 43 OF diarrhGa.
What is the cause of this great mortality
among the children of New York? There never
was a healthier summer in this climate than the
present. and the city for fifteen years has not been
80 clean as it is now. The City Inspector has
won for himself the greatest popularity ever en-
joyed by any official of the city government. The
energy and vigor of his administration have
wrought wonders. 1t is not, therefore, owing
either to an unhealthy season or to filthy streets
that 60 many children have been numbered with
the dead.
Where are we to seek the causes? First, in
the unripe and rotten fruit which abound at this
time in the city, and which even infants
are permitted to eat. Second, in the swill
milk on which children live. It is impure
and poisonous and is undoubtedly the cause of
the mortality. Cows fed on the swill of the dis
tilleries become diseased, and their milk of
course follows the same physical law, and the
children Who partake of it are poisoned by slow
degrees just with as much certainty as if they
swallowed small doses of arsenic from day to
day.
Now it must be somebody's business to attend
to this matter. Some of the authorities have
the power to put stop to it, and it is their duty
to exercise that power. The Board of Health,
we think, have full authority to do it, and in
view of the frightful mortality very serious re-
sponsibility devolves upon them.
There is by far too little attention paid to the
food of the people in this city. There is reck-
lessness about what they eat and drink That
savors little Of wisdom or common sense. As for
the authorities, they are too busily engaged in
politics to see that only wholesome provisions are
exhibited for SALE In every direction may be
met bad and unsound meat, stale fish, withered
vegetables, (almost as poisonous as prussic
acid, though not 30 rapid in their operation
adulterated bread, tea sugar, coffee, beer wine,
brandy and whiskey; but no person appears to
have any cognizance of such matters, and the
people are victimized in thousands, month after
HouSn, ouu yeoA oi1eI year. Dut III uO drLlcle OF
diet is there more adulteration than in milk, and
therei none in which the adulteration is so per
nicious, for it nips in the bud the fairest children
ofpromise, who are doomed to pine away and
perish by inches before the eyes of their parents
We shall see whether the Board of Health or
any Of the other city authorities will attend to
this highly important matter.
The AMERICAN PARTY UNDER THE HAMMER
VINO BIDS 1.-THE rump Of the late great Ameri
can party of this State has an organ In this city
which somewhat ingeniously, and somewhat in
genuously, offers the whole concern to he high
est bidder, as between the republican and demo-
cratic parties. The American State Convention
for nominating State ticket will not be held
until o week after the democratic, and two weeks
after the republican convention. This arrange
ment will admirably serve the purposes of the
plan Of operations proposed by the American or
gan aforesaid, which plan is not an independent
American State ticket this fall, but a ticket
elected from the republican ticket or
rom the democratic, or from both, as
nay be deemed most expedient. Thus, we
are told, the Americans "may select one,