New-York tribune., 1874-11-11

| PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 10.-The American Pub
lie Health Association commenced lis third public
ing III the hall OF the College Of Physcians at noon
| today, DIR. Stephen Smith. HeIlth Commissioner OF
New-fork. presiding Dr. Z. Harris, Registrar OF Vital
statistics, acted Secretary. Among the prominent
menoers at the session DR.. John H. Rauch,
late Sanitary Superintendent OF Chicago DR.. Elwin NJ.
SNOW of the Providence Board Of Health;
Dr' Ezra M. Hunt, President Of the Ncw-Jersey
| oahtary Commssion; DR.. j. j. Woodward,
surgeon u g. A., Washington Dr.. J. s. Billings Sur
Reon' u. g. A. DIR. b. c. Miller, Sanitary Superintendent
OF Cnicago DIR. Desault Guernsey Of Am,nil N. Y;
DE- maermhemer Sanitary Inspector OF Chicago; DIR. j.
.. quinn. Health Officer OF Cncinnatl; Dr. Thomas L.
Neal Health Officer, of Dayton. Ohio; Dr. g. j. Jerson
Heath Oieer, Of Pittsburgh; DR.. Samuel q. Rlsey OF
washington DR.. &. +. Rodensten, Sanitary Inspector
New-fork; DIR. j. W. Woodworth, Supervising surgeon
United States Marine Hospital, Treasury Department,
washington; DR.. Heber Smith, Supervising Surgeon.
Marine Hospital, New-York and Dr. J. NJ. Toner OF
Washington
INFANT MORTALITY IN CITIES.
After some introductory remarks by President Smith,
fro Henry Hartshonre OF this city delivered address
OF welcome and read carefully prepared paper the
Excessive Infant Mortality OF Cities and the Means of
Its Prevention" The following extracts made from
the paper:
, III Is in my belief, justihable opinion that among
S ,MoSe porn with normal constitution, and under Gu
utey favorable circumstances. tue mortality during
peiou o me- Yet it Is fact familiar to every one that
Ine reverse is the ease in very many ocatIcS-most
chut 0nesxn Of ali born die 10 tue r5t year OF life
lBertillon recently pats 1t at one-hitu) IN S@een aud
finland one-iiIth; in Berlin, Prussia one-third. Nor
gland ana this country. Before tho war 10 worst
under one year age in that city.
Tne rate Is declining SOMEWHAT during the last few
years IN Philadelphia aud NeY-YOrk. From 1860 70
1872, the deaths under five years 73 per ceI
ana under m one year 2725 per cent o. tue total NOR
remarked, summer the entrtor infatuM in NewYOrk.
In the Summer quarter OF 1863 IN tna city the wnole
number OF deaths being somewhat less tnan 8700, Of
these nearly $500 were OF children under years oI aSe
disease 5oS O oOa hoa wa en are Of So Of
1870 threeffth' Of the aggregate morality in New
hsc years; 400 deaths DenS from cnOiera iuftntum
datGs 9f 1o'' Of % % m 2 r IN Of n e2 s2
Two years, SS3 uuder one years mostly from darrheil
disorders Inc week preyols 10 thS gave l59 for the
same mode OF causaion; sucn an aggregate OF deaths
probably having never been exceeded III mat city; as
the former (350 never has been III Philadelphia
But tie excessive mOrtali6y Of early lie ia by
means accounted tor by sola influences alone other
ctusrs, also, are o. great Importance. Ihese may DC
advantageOusy referred TO antel ,ta and poiltil
causes Uhle the forncr mead belong constitutional
defects i'll parents. 1 nave spoken among the
OF ear mortality acting through parents, OF cx
cess OF the nervous temperance and deccncy or or
ganic Development IN women IL Iniglt be SAFER 10
say In men ana woncn. Both run 10 brains and
nerve too much in tlIs country. Animal functions
are less readily snbOrdinated to the intellectul ana
moral nature, out All these roo too arIcy h vegetl-
tive nutrtive, and reproductive Systems Thls lbeleyo
to be the secret Oi tue sseIc aId eseing nu nor OF
births OF American cidren OF native parents compared
with those OF foreign pircntaSe Mucn more Remains
10 DC investigated upon tlS suJrci, hOt"l hstahhs
the elaborate inquiries OF DE- Allen. DE- j. Ock.On
H0ugh, and Others. In Massachusetts. at least tue
mortality OF infancy Is greatest among tue children OF
foreigners.
Posaata causes OF infanillc mortality differ n diff
ferenL climates Northern cities lose many infants IN
the Winter by pneumonia, capillary orOnchltis and
eroupnnder tne 10 10 F no 30 o'I hn @ IN
London the degree to which N tntrmonser deseehds
grea! extent the murtaity Of the Winter. Morning.
IN our mortudrJ statistics in Pnii.iIelpHll and New
York is more constant than tbs proportion between
the number Of deaths among young chllJrcn ana
the of the daily temperature abJve 95 Fdheneit
in the sbade ndec might sifcy say, aUOYc 90 Bar,
along with this positive Cause OF disease, taxing effect
severely upon the infant populatI II, must be APP
pretended aud remembered also tue action OF lmpury
Of atmosphere. Every zgnotlc disease Is rcn-
dered more fatal, If uot more prevalent By foul air.
Any sanitar1an might designate III cly "ha "driS,
blocks courts, alleys and houses Will aiSdys an rd ho
largest deaths from scarlet fever, measles,
theria cerebro-spina fever typhu cholera Asiaica
when either OF these prevails. Tie great Importance
OF impurlty OF the atmosphere as u 1dctOf IN the
fully recognized times past TIrre seems to be some
ground for fear that may be- at TIC present Tune TOO
little borne IN mlnd under tue almost o.erSnaowlnS
attention given to another factor eli trly OF great
cUnsequenccbad feeding OF chircn Errors IN lnfdnc
diet may considered brehy. tney occar: FIrs',
When child Is sucked, III part or atoSGher ny tue
entirely by hand with the boule. FeeLie mothers
cannot often, although they do SOMETIMES rear
and sometimes to leave their infants Tor many
hours together, neglect thea almost or quite
unavnidahly to "a great disadvantage. Wean-
ug occurs thus premaurey, and prvatIOl of natural
food Invites early death Al the opposite scale OF soel
etv i'm some countries most OF all IN France, but 10
small extent only in America. indolenco and luxury
among the rich induce notncrs TO nwa tno M nsnss ot
hireling nurses, far away from thelr homes Inc
of years past attracted serious attention OF Ftcnch
physicians ana sanitary observers. BertlHo1 reekous
inat onehaf of th nurse children OF Paris perlsn dur
In, tbair first
Iearfuy In founding hospitals whose dea'h-rato mas
always been ninense
Speaking OF the feeding OF infants, Prof Hartshorne
said the worst often committed were " FIRST
giving infants stale milk; second. watering the milk
overmuch third substituting farinaceous or other f0od
incom petent to supply e-waste ana maintain me-
After few brief remarks upon this topc the PROFESSOR
closed his with as 10 now the IN
suenccs hostile 10 nantIle life and health might be
lessened. He said
parenIage we must look chiefly to popular education
moral reforo aud sanitary pcce and sa,t,rv i'm. i
proyement of dwellings and localities 10 cities Aglnst
post.natal causes otnfantile mortality af heasates M
will he OF great Importance Means should De taSen
to dfIse information among all classes aud especially
the poor food noi OF an ne nsea % care Si
cleanliness, and ventilation. iioly,.ree ln1s ana
temperance cpfce-!.onass ought 70 pe esioiasnvu, 40
10 give cheer aud c0nf0rt witGou neofation III every
quarter OF every city. Chidrens excursions IN hot
weather should be- they now are made the gen NJ r9s
poorer class Yet more than ali tls is needed Dr. !.
81 Toner and myself have incurred perhaps, the charge
OF being impractcable, IN proposing that slminer
eamps for mothers with young Infants. during not
weather should be provided outside OF every large
city For The first year, my eseInate s % tnst this
pha less in succeeding years. There Is no difficulty
about 1t except that Of procuring the money. IL
worth while I TIE answer to this depends upon our
estimate OF the value of man lie. Not only the direct
of siderable number OF infants proohny oV,
per hrunm the In this ety from death might
thus be accomplished Such camps would also be train
ing schoOls In healthy living TO all VINO occupied lem,
the efecs OF which would last long afterwards Mre-
al NJ ~,