The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1883-04-20
CHILD INCUBATOR.
A French Scientific Substitute for
Mothers.


The report of some remarkable
experiments In so-called artificial
child mediation comes from
France. The GLASGOW lail says
that the immense success which
has attended the artificial incuba-
tion OF chickens in France recently
attracted the attention OF DR..
Tanenier u learned aud ingenious
physician. He was attached to u
hospital tor foundings, aud was an-
noyed at the large number offound-
ing who died within the first six
months OF their life. The majority
of those admitted to the hospital
were weak aud sickly, and he re-
solved to try what "artidcial incu-
baton" would accomplish ifapplied
to iufants. The doctor constructed
u child incubator on precisely the
model Of the ordinary chicken in-
cubator. Ii was box covered
with a glass slide, furnished with IA
soft WOODEN bed and kept ut the
temperature OF SO degrees
Fahrenheit, by the aid OF hot water.
He selected as the subject Of his
first experiment u miserably-made
infaut, one that had come iuto the
world at sn injudicionsly early
period. This infant was placed III
the incubator, provided with a
nursing bottle and kept III u dark
room. To the surprise OF the doc.
tor, 1t ceased to cry on the second
day after it was placed in the incu.
bator, aud although it had pre-
i viously been preternaturally sleep
less child, ii sank into n deep aud
quiet sleep. The child remained IN
| the incubator for about eight
weeks, during which time it never
once cried aud never remained
awake except when taking nourish
nent. 1t grew rapidly, and when,
at the expiration Of sixty days, il
was removed from the incubator, II
presented the appearances OF a
healthy infant Of ut least a year
old. Delighted with the success OI
the experiment, DR.. Traverniei
next selected un ordinary six
mouths old infant addicted TO the
usual pains and collie, aud exhibit
luz the usual fretfulness Of French
Infants. The child conducted II
self while in the incubator pre-
cisely as its predecessor had done
II never cried, it spent its whole
time III sleep, and it grew as II 1
had made up its mind to embrace
the career of a professional giant
After six weeks stay in the incu
bator it was removed aud weighed
; during this brief period it hat
doubled its weight. 1t had be
come so strong and healthy that il
resembled child three years old
aud it could actually walk whei
holding Oh to u convenient piece ol
furniture. These two experiments
satisfied DR.. Tavernier OF the vast
advantages OF artificial child incu
bation. He immediately proceed
ed, with the permission OF tho au.
thorities of the hospital, to con
struct an incubator of the capacity
of 400 infants, and in this he plac
ed every one of the infants wht
were in the hospital on the 10tl
: of February last. With the exceu
: tiou of one who died of cuugenit',
J hydrocephalus, aud another wh'
was claimed by its repentan
parents, the infants were kept con
! tinuously in the incubator Tor 81,
months, when they were removes
in consequence Of having outgrowl
their narrow beds. The result will
seem almost increditable to pei
! sous who are unfamiliar with th'
, reputation of DR.. Tayernier, an
! have not seen the report made t
! the French government Oh the sui
, ject by select committee q
! twelve. Tie average age of til
| infants last February was eigh
months and three days, the young
est being less than twelve hour
old and the eldest nos much MOI
than eleven months. Their ave
/. age weight was sixteen pounds onl,
: one of the entire 800 having y
: tanned a weight OF SO pounds. A
! the end OF six months OF artiticla
1 incubation the average weight
each infant was twenty .fou
. pounds, aud there WAS not Oh
: who would not have been suppol
! ed by y casual observer to be Z
: least three years old. In othe
2 words, six months Of ARTIFICIAL Il
!, cubation did as much In the way (
: . developing DR.. Tavernier's fount
: ling as three years of ordinary III
! : would have done. The Infant
: were strong and healthy rs well !
: big; they walked within week
!. leaving the incubator, aud most ,
: them have since learned to tnll
. These results surpassed d
4 Tavernier's most enthusiastic el
e pectations, and there can be n
4 donbt that bis systepi OF artii1ci
!. incubation will be adopted; ns
only In every uhllFs hospital
France, but in every private famil
= throughout tho civilized world.