The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-12
The Slaughter of the InnOccnt..

seem 10 Dc aware Ol Tue lflghtiUlIy large
percentage OF infant mortality year by
year, compared with the whole number
Of deaths OF all ages. The mortality
table prepared by DR. j. NJ. Toner, OF
this city, whose careful and intelligent
labOrs in gathering the vital statistics of
the country, have been referred to hereto.
fore, presents some startling facts in this
connection. These tables show the nm.
Hual mortality in several OF the States.
and in number OF our large cities made
up from their published reports for the
years named, giving the whole number of
deaths, and also the number diving under
five years Of agc; the number dying be
tween five and ten years; also, the num-
her dying from cholera iniantum, with
the per cent Of each Cnss.
The census OF the United States for
1870 showed u per Ccnlagc Of 80. 70 of
children under } years Of are Ia tie total
deaths Of all ages; and the per cenlaCc in
the census OF 1850 had increased to 1915.
The mortality under 3 in the great cities
oil the country has risen to u much higher
rate, the highest being in Chicago, where
II has mounted from u per CrntagG Oi
2SG1 in 1913 TO G. SO in 1869. In 1865
the number Of deaths OF children under
; 10 the total deaths Of all ages stood in
that city in the irightiul proportion of
3,7l3 Of the former 10 1881 Of The latter,
and in 1869 it had risen to i,077 under :
to GfSS over that Hgc.
Next comes St Louis, where, in 1871,
the per Ccntagc WAS 81 10; the number of
deaths under ) being 400 to {, go above.
Ranging about the same as ST. Louis is
the per ccntagc OF infant mortality in
New York In New York city in 1869
the per CcntagC was 100; the number Of
deaths under ) in the year being 1850 to
2j,lG7 above. In that city it would up.
pear, however, that the proportion Of
deaths mdcr=5 is rather diminishing than
otherwise, rs during the series Of years
from 1850 10 1865 il had ranged from
5l.O2 TO $40, while in 1866 il was but
4773, in 1867 il was G2l0 and in 1860 but
5l,OO. In the year 1911 the mortality in
New York amongst the children seems to
have been exceptionally large, as the per
Ccntagc was 1870; the number of deaths
under 3 being 1916 10 2,j2i above that
age. In Philadelphia, too, the chances Of
the little folks in the fight for lie seems Ia
be rather improving, AS the per ccntagc
Of deaths under : stood ms high as jl.S1
in 1868 and 5l.9j in 1861, while from
1862 to 1869 it has ranged from IS - 10
40 G3 and in 1870 was but I427.
Next to New York in infant mortality
comes Baltimore with its per centaCe, in
1869, Of 1885 under 5 years, though The
proportion has increased but little since
1850, when it stood 1874.
Cincinnati in 1865 had a per Centagc of
lGGS under ., and Philadelphia, as above
stated the next highest per centare. In
New Orleans the returns are brought
down only to 1851, when the per Ccnlhgc
was 43 81. Providence, r. l., seems 10 he
favorable place for the little ones AS the
mortality under ) has not from 1865 TO
1870, been above Sc 80.
In this city the mortality returns have
been so inadCquAtcly made that only
scattered statistics covering separate
years can be obtained. In 1919 the num-
Der Of deaths under was 400, TO SGG
above; percentage of iGlS. In lSl2
there were ji1 deaths under ), 10 l,llj
above; percentage Of 1905. In ISIS
the per CCntage was i57S, the number of
deaths under ) being 420 TO 49, above.
The mortality statistics OF Richmond
present sOme curious features, rs showing
that while the number Of deaths of color.
ed children under is nearly two to one
Of that Of the whites of the same age; the
proportion of white children diving Of
cholera lniantum is nearly double the
COlOrCd mortality Of the same disease,
there being 400 white deaths in 1868 Of
cholera inlantum TO $50 colorcd in the
same year in that city.
In view Of the appalling proportion Of
infant mortality, especially in our large cit.
les, shown by the statistics above referred
10, DR.. Toner some time ago called allcn.
ton to the necessity for adopting some
general measures Tor checking this vast
waste Of infant life We have various
humane institutions, insane asymms, Sc.,
to alleviate the sullerings and lcngthen
out the lives of the wrecks of humanity,
but We have literally nothing TO stay the
immense waste OF lite Of the hopeful
young, full OF great promise. II is certain.
ly better to provide Tor the preservation
Of the lives Of those who will grow into
usefulness, than to COnhnc all our humane
efforts TO guarding the health of the
hnpclCsslY shattered wrecks.
Of course We ,lthy parents have i, in
their power TO remove their ailing chill.
dren 10 purCr air, but il is an unpleasant
task for physician 10 say 10 parents, un.
able TO meet the expense, that the life Of
Il child suffering from cholera infanlum
depends on its being removed to another
locality. To meet this difficulty, DR.. To.
ncr suggests the establishment OF Tree
parks At elevated points, where parents,
or mothers and nurses, may camp out in
the summer months in such style as suits
their means or convenience, either in tents
or cheap cottages. Cities and COmmuni.
ties should feel il n moral duty to aid in
any measure Of the kind for the prcscrya.
ton Of iniantilG life. Cheap fare, or free
fare, should be furnished to poor women
with their sick babes, and they should be
aided with mtiOns on the ground. Phi
lanthrnpiC people no doubt would willing
ly mid, if the means were pointed out, in
some systematic measure Of relief for
the suffering little ones who perish by the
thousands yearly in our large cities, for
want Of DIR and attention. The child in
such cases is not sick, hut is suffering sim.
ply from excess Of heat. THERE'S no solid
tissue in the infant. 1t is virtually all
liquid; il gets heated up and deterioration
takes place. What Is wanted is to keep
down the temperature. Infants to moi
pcrspirc rs adults do; hut the process Of
retained heat goes on with them, and they
suffer accordingly. Evaporation should
be encouraged; they should be spUngcd
frequently and exposed TO the airas much
rs possible; and above all there should be
no llnnncls next TO the skin in hot wealth.
cr. Many mothers really destroy all
chances their ailing babes have for life by
blndagInG them with llanncls, and scdu.
lUuslv ECrUinv Them ont of the fresh mir