, 1870-05-08
Baby-Kf1Iing In England.

i
| ized societies arc SCARCELY less in6u1pan ol
| more refined than tho crimes and vices dis,
\ PLAYED by saynEes or by eemi-ba1barixne
| Among untutored tribes, and among nations
| like tho Chinese, infant life is little valued,
and many are .he tales recorded BY traveller:
In England and in>Franco We may hear similar
stories almost daily Of inhuman mothers, and
of women who make it their business to get
rid OF infants that are not wanted by their
parents.
The Brit;sh and Foreign Melieo Cair1ryieal
Rertet0 for the present quarter contains an ar
ticlo on this subject which deserves wider
circulation thnn It is likely to obtain in pro.
fessional journal Ihc writer points out that
at least half Of the infants born IN England
and Wales die within three months OF their
birth; but now many OF these are deliberately
done to death d uknoWn.
, Mians says s .ne t re;eWe M ~ afe n1t
n,5 co,noG,r tnnsst msane sne ~ ~hy NJ
niored SIN the sfatistics nf The general rrr-e-
Taf once tel us TINT IN the nve years 1901, out
Of the ass violent deaths Of Infants under year
ot tage, ~ were proved to be instances Of direct
thssn a nnI ,hat ~ ~ ~ ,e,a ~
su1ocateti. 20 we're Sf1ie hv hiaMs frnc.urnr tl,e
sIui1. by cutting or bT stab6tnV: 81 by iutentfonal
neglect; q by drowning; BY 81 exposure to c6ld,
and By the simple proceeding Of leaving the cord
united at birth" -, -.-,
to tho prevalence of baby-killing does not
show the full extent Of the crime. Much Is
left to conjecture; for tho irregular manner
in which yerdicts are returned, the ease with
which tie dead bodies Of infants can bo dis
posed OF, and tho habit which pleEails OF
correct statistics. There is, therefore, room
for GToEs e1aggeration, as in the case OF q
writer in the C?surch and the H0rld, who OBJ
serves that t' tie metropolitan canal boats are
impcded aB they are Tracked along by the NUM-
ber Of drowned infants with which they como
IN contact" but it is certain thAt the murder Of
Infants directly by their mothers, or indirectly
through the tender mercias Of baby-farmerat
ia crime Of no common magnitude in this
country The author Of the paper from which
We hare quoted believes with Mr.. Acton that
among other meana Of diminishing the evil =
necessary. Not one man in fifty, accorling to
ur. Lankester, contributes to the support Of
his ilegitlIaate child; for, since 2s Cd per
Week 1s al the mother can claim, there are few
women WHO will put the law in force. Ir. Ac-
ton points ont with terrible dishnctness how
prostitution compulsory, and I" encourages d
uade hardly less infamous-thAt Of baby-farm-
1ng." This law was enacted nearly forty years
aGo, and there can DO no doubt that coGent rea-
sons may be urged Tor it's amendment. At
the same time it is essential that some means
SAouu 10 N4SPtGt4 I'LL 0luuAlcAA4E lAo os44a
OF baty-farmlng. How this can be none, how
ever, is not very ob7ious. The reviewer .sug-
gcets .that the registration Of every birth
should be compulsory by law, as in Scotland
and Ireland, and this whether the infant be
born prcmatu1ely or ut full period, alive OF
dead that the registration Of death should
be accompanied by a certificate from q duly
qualified practitioner, Stating that ho hna had
proper opportunities for forming an opinion
and specifying the Cause OF the death and
q that some statutory check should be- placed
upon the practice among undertakcrs Of dis
losing surreptitious1y Of tho bodies Of infants
dying unbAptized or unregistered, IN
tho collins Of other rersons, or otherwise"
He suggests, too, that baby tatms sholld
be licensed and placed under the eye
of Of ]udlc!ous medical oficar; and thas
- houses to Which females moving IN the bot
lei Classics ol soe.esy VINO SO tar iofget mem
selsee az 70 become ptegnans may iGuIe a1, eql.
ng Tue penod o. their eonhnemens , shoula a.oe %
laole 70 simliaS Supervision. ~; Assan
as9, aIaouga he Justly cha.astelnea NE h;t t1ade
puolcly licensed, and LIE honsea open 70 u
jPectlon y properly appointed othcors- u
ho present state OF Enghah teehng ABOUT sqGn
matters, plan Ike thus is lmPrschcaole- we
:annot discrlmr ate between = law which recoe-
alzea the existence OF an evil FOR the purpose
# diminishing it, and q law which sanctions
What all good men confess to bo abomlratlon.
NetWeen England and France there IL WIGS
Inference Of opinion about many questions
.hecting public morality. Nevertheless 1t may
,e well worth tnqu1rnE how our nelghbors act
nth regard 70 tms question; and an article u
nc ltcrue des UetiL M0zades 1cr March 10 WILL