New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-29

of the summer of 1870 three-ffths OF the
aggregate mortality in New YORK (o4o
deaths out of l04S) occurred in children IN
der i've years. 400 deaths being from choi,
era infantum alone. In the hottest week u
1872. in Philadelphia, S52 deaths occurred,
Of which 497 were OF infants under two
yearN. 1888 under one year, mostly from
diarrheal disorders. The week previous to
this gave 1869 for the total mortality OF
New York, increased largely by the same
mode of causatiOn, such an aggregate OF
deaths probably having never been exceed
ed in that city, as the formeS (oo:' never
has been in Philadelphia.
But the excessive mortality Of early life
is hy no means accounted tor by seasonal
influences alone; other causes. also, are OF
great importance. These may be advan-
tageouely referred to as ante-natal and post
natal causes. Under the former head be-
long constitutional defects in parents
have spoken among the causes OF early NOR.
tality acting through parents, OF excess OF
the nervous temperament and deficiency OF
organic development in women. 1t mIgnt
be safer to say, in men and women. botn
run to brains and nerve too much IN TINS
country. Animal functions are less read.
ilv subOrdinated to the intellectual ana
moral nature, but all these rob too largely
the vegetative, nutritive and reproductive
systems. This believe to be the secret q
of American children OF native parents
compared with those Of foreign parentage.
Much more remains to be investigated up III
this subject, notwith standing the elaborate
inquiries of DR.. Allen. DR.. j. Stockton
Hough and Others. In Massachusetts, at
least, the mortality of infancy is greatest
among the children OF foreigners.
Post-natal causes Of intant le mortallty
differ in different climates. Northern cities
lose many infants in the winter by pneumo
MIA, capillary bronchitis and crOup-under
the exposure to cold often connected
with poverty and neglect. DR.. farr has
shown that in London the degree to which
the thermometer descends in December.
January or February determines to great
extent the mortality of the winter.
Nothing in our mortuary statistics OF Phila-
delphia and New York is more constant
than the proportion between the number of
deaths among young children and the
excess of the daily temperature above 20
Fahrenheit In the shade. Indeed. We might
positive cause of disease, taking effect most
severely upon the infant population, NUT
be unprecedented and remembered also the
action of impurity OF atmosphere.
Every zymOtic disease is rendered more fatal
| if not more prevalent, by foul air. Any san
itarian might designate in city what " rds,
blocks, courts, alleys and houses will al
Va
| from scarlet fever, measles and cholera in
| fantum from year to year, and from dlpt-
| iberia, cerebrospinal fever, typhus or
| cholera Asiatica when either of these pre-
walls. The great Importance OF impurlty OF
| the atmosphere as factor in the mortality
of infants in large cities has been fully re-
| cognized in times past. There seems to be
| some ground for fear that it may be, at the
present time, too little borne in mind, under
| the almost overshadowiDg attention given
| to another factor, itself truly of great inn
portance-bad feeding of children. Errors
in infantile diet may be considered briefly
as they occur: First, when the child is
sucked in part, or altogether by the mother
or a substitute; and, second, when
it is fed entirely by hand or with the
bottle. Feeble mothers can not often,
although they do sometimes. rear
healthy children Women obliged to work
hard, and sometimes obliged to leave their
infants for many hours together. neglect
| them. almost or quite unavOidably to
great disadvantage. WEAVING occurs thus
prematurely, and privation OF natural food
invites early death. At the opposite scale
of society, in some countries. most OF all IN
| France. but to q small extent only in
| America, Incidence and luxury among the
| rich induce mothers to thwart the instincts
Of maternity by placing their offspring
! under hiye!iny nurses. often tar away from
their homes. The large mortality Of chill.
| dren SO treated has tor number OF years
| past attracted the serious attention OF
French hysicians and sanitary observers.
| BertilIon reckOns that one half Of the nurse
children of Paris perish during their first
year. The same sort Of evil is intensified
| fearfully in founding hospitals. whose
death rate has always been immense.
! Speakin. Of the feeding OF infants. Pre-
fessor Hartshorne said the worst errors
often committed were: First. giving in.
fan,s stale milk: second watering the milk
| Overmuch: third. substituting farinaccous
or other food. incompetent to supply tissue
! waste and maintain life." After a few brief
remarks upon this topic. the professor closed
his paper with some suggestions as 10 how
| the influences hostile to intantile life and
health might be lessened. He SAID:
To meet ante-natal deleterious causes
connected with parentage we must look
chilly to popular education, moral reform
| and sanitary police. Under the last named
should be included inspection and sanitary
improvement of dwellings and localities in
cities. Against post natal causes of infantile
| morality similar measures will be of great
Importance. Means should be taken to diff
| fuse information among all classes. AND
| especially the poor. concerning food lmost o.
all the need OF freshness aud purity in thai
| which is given to children). cleanliness and
| SentllatlOns HOlytree inns ana temperance
cotfeehouses ought to be established to give
chez: and comfort, without inebriation il
every quarter of the city. Children's ex
cursions in hot weather should be. al
they now are. made the generous duty o
the richer. and the life giving enjoyment 0
the poorer class. Ye: more than all this !:
needed. DR.. j. NJ. Toner and myself have
incurred. perhaps, the charge OF being i'm
practicable in proposing that summer camp
for mothers with young infants. during ho
weather. should be provided outside o
every large city. For til. first year IN,
$4,000 to 100000 for Philadelphia: less ii
succeeding years. There is no difficult,
about it except that of procuring tn
money. Il it worth while! The answer t
this depends upon our estimate Of the valu
of human life. Not only the direct rescu
of a considerable. number Of infants tprol
ably 500 per annum on the average in thi
city, from death might thus be accom-
plished. Such camps would also be train
ing schools in healthy living to all who O.
cupied them. the effects Of which wOul
last long afterward. Moreover, by the r.
moyal of part Of their population tn
| worst quarters Of the cities 50 releve
might be open to inspection and etfectual
permanent. compulsory sanitation.-Ne'
| York Iribune's Report Of american Heat
associations Meeting at Philadelphia.
| .-----
Banks Triumph.
The Washington Chronicle says:
Nathaniel T. Banks made square Il yf
and deserved an election. In his very frs
speech he told the Democrats that 18th