The New York herald., 1869-06-18
NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE.


Reading of n Paper on ssSummer Mortality"
by DIR. stephen Rogers.
stated meeting OF the New York Academy Of
Medicine took place last night at the College of Ply
sicians and Surgeons, corner Of Twenty street
and Fourth avenue. A paper was read on summer
Mortality" by DR.. stephen Rogers.
Dr. Rogers commenced his paper by presenting
tabular statement OF the death rates OF some OF
the principal cities OF the world for each
quarter OF the year, the date not given. IN
London the rate was for the quarter ending
d. 81 Tor oc ias mar 81 Sepe%Ser oSe 70
Paris the mortality was for the quarter ending June
81 lSlS; 4 SeptemHer be N 80 1890 December sooo
for the quarter ending June 80, $780, September 3O
e,67o; December 81, AGO: March 81, $500. In the
was In the cold months; in New York it was In the
months including the heat OF summer. The evil
rvsuits n o. neat were greatly augmented BY humidity
crease to seventyeight or eighty greatly increased
the mortality; but changes IRON sixty to less than
seventyve were not productive OF like evil results.
In aduits the increased mortality was oc-
casioned mostly by sunstroke. As pre-
ventive or this malady the wearing OF as
little and as light clothing the conventionalites
OF society would admit was advised. Contrary TO
the generally received opinion on the SUBJECT il was
stated that where there nad been no previous depr
vation an unlimited supply OF Ice water was
ment or sunstroke aud the necessity OF Keeping the
BODY cool. IL was far speedier way to cool the
blood by pouring water on the arm than the
dlsordered digestion than to any other cause. Heat,
however was not the only element contributing to
the increased mortality. Sunstroke In New orleans
was less common than In New YORK or philadelphia.
This owing to the fact that the body s more ex.
posed In the fermer To the air than III Northern cities
The next question taken up was tnat OF infant NOR
ay. One OF the great causes OF the increased NOR
tallty Of children during the hot months was the
dressing them with too much clothing, nanncls and
the like. Tue true policy, 1t sald was to remove
all nanues aud leave the bodies OF children as cool
and as much exposed to the air as possible. The
inability OF women TO nurse their own Offspring
was another great source OF mortality. The best
nutrition for an infant, IN default OF Its natural food
was undiluted cows milk; to dilute IT, as was the
custom, was to starvc the Child. Even swil milk
was better than diluted mix mixed with only
preparations such as were In common use,
Feed infants on pure, undiuted cows milk and II
would do more than could be done In any other way
to prevent infant mortality. n soross could or
would turn Its attention towards giving us
women who could perform the maternal functions
instead OF entering the political arena would I've
accomplishing some good. The DOCTOR inveighed
against the system OF wet nursing as tendpr To
inianticide. poor woman to get the money offered
to the child OF the rich would neglect her own
child TIL II died. In treating cholera infantum 40
frIgntiully prevalent Ia tins country the FIRST thing
to be done was TO Keep the body cool Let It be ey-
posed to the air and on no consideration during the
season OF great heat let fannei be worn. Let ice
water be gwen to the enid TO keep Its blood cool.