The New York herald., 1872-12-24
"HELP THE FOUNDLINGS. :"

Christmas Among tho Little Waits or
Washington square-The Assistance OF
the Generous Asked For-Elevcn Hum
dred and Seventy-twO Children Pro-
vided For.
Now that the glad season Of Christmas has come,
bringing with 1t kindly thoughts OF home and
charity to the distressed IL would be well Tor those
who have plenty Of the worlds goods and who
are generously disposed to call at the Pounding
Hospital In Washington square, ct which institu-
tiOn 1172 children are taken care OF by the good
Sisters OF Charity, under the supervision OF
Sister Irene, the superintendent. A HERALD
reporter called yesterday afternoon at the
house in Washington square, and was
shown over the four noors and basement
OF the building in the most courteous manner by
sister Irene. Every room in the house was
crowded by babies, some OF whom have been under
charge for about two years. One little girl, named
Marie Of about i've years, sang o verse Of song
for the reporter, and all the children had toys Ia
their hands, many Of the precious little todders
coming forward and shaking the hands Of the
reporter and then retiring with Q baby's idea OF
doing something smart. About one hundred
and twenty children ore nursed in the house,
at $40 q month, with decent poor families,
to whom the $io month is q great help
for rent and firing during the Winter. Some
times there are as many as sixty unfortunate
mothers OF the children taking care OF their
babies in the Washington square house, who are in
Owing % unforeseen circdinstsnces % the Home Is
now run behind for want Of money, and those who
others have given theiF medical services fr5eily
and without cost to the institution, and they are
needed, for there are now in the iniirmary Ave or
six children dying Of disease transmitted to them
by their unknown parents. The new buildings
now nearly erected for the use Of the institution
on sixty-elghth street, between Lexington and
ssS sassi N| 5 Is'g an' a'a are described
is placed the administrative building, 80 ieet wide
by 90 feet deep and five stories high, exclusive Of
on yCl osn dnns s c
pantries work rooms bathrooms closets eleva.
tor, dornitories, and inhrmary for the Sisters To
viii be the chapel 40 feet wide and SO leet long. In
the basement under the chapel win be the play
building and viii Sde Be e two ward
each 80 feet wide and 80 feet long, with pavilion
at each end OF the same about 40 feet square.
OF the basement, and be placed at q sufficient dis
tance apart from each other to allow ample free
Of sr and full y ns sums
ing them with the centre building and with
each other win consist Of open arched passages,
The eS 0S Stoqss s n the senre and
wards are Ss follows basement, ten feet six
% I s s ndss. sss 'a ,n1s oars s'sn% snS
ssas aforiei, fan:!esl feet nigh; All in the clear.
In the basement story Of the various W.. be
offices for the PHYSICIANS the dispensaries. waiting
rooms, nurses ana sewing rooms, small Kitchens
and store rooms. AS far as possible all our infants
wet nursed; that Is, as In all infant hospitals
cept in few instances where wet nurse cares
for only one infant. But, as the institution will ac-
comm0date only thirtyeight wet nurses, we are
larger number OF infants are received than we
can wet nurse either within or outside the
accompanied by their own infants, and while they
remain with MS nurse also another. Some OF
these nurses are very young, only fifteen, sixteen
girls are not chosen as Wet nurses, but they apply
for admission with their infants; and they are as
much in want OF home and protection as their
ANTS Wien Il Is possbs s s to ivy @ SSa s ID
fant, 1t Is spoon-fed upon condensed milk Bottle
oughly tried. but spoon feeding has been substi.
tuted for it, for with the latter we have less of
overfeeding and its consequences. also less air is
swallowed and greater cleanliness can be ensured.
All the food for the infants is prepared under the
supervising care OF one Of the Sisters. The great
mass Of our infants are boarded about the city
few exceptions are wet.nursed. Though many
OF em ssIe tn t yet we find saat s many Of
out Ut nurse, while proportionally greater num-
ber at wetnurse outside fail ana are returned to
nurselings upon large part OF Long island espe.
cially the eastern and southwestern portion, has
not been % at all gratifying Yet, again, many In.
Of hospital air, &C., have greatly improved when
wet-nnrsed outside. In spite OF this, experience
forces us to acknowledge that the chances Of rear
ing infants In well-regulated institution, with
large, sunny, well-ventilated halls, are fully as
good as In the outside nursing or boarding. We
can procure only few wet nurses In the rural dis
tricts, within any reasonable distance OF our CITY,
for our small farmers have no necessity to tax
their wives and families with the OF nursengs.
And we have o great number Of infants returned
by their nurses to the asylum in feeble and dying
condition, who live many days longer with us than
il left to die outside"