Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-01-10
Baby Incubation.

Baby Incubation.
The immense success which has at
tended the artificial incubation of
chickens in France recently, says the
Glasgow Mail, attracted the attention of
DIR. Tavernier, learned and ingenious
physician. He was attached to a hos
pltal for foundlings, and was annoyed
at the large number of foundlings who
died within the first six months of their
life. The majority of those admitted to
the hospital were weak and sickly, and
he resolved to try what artificial incu-
baton " would accomplish if applied to
infants. The doctor constructed child
incubator on precisely the model of the
ordinary chicken incubator. It was
box covered with glass slide, furnished
with soft wooden bed, and kept at the
temperature of $50 Fahrenheit bv the
aid of hot water. He selected az the
subject OF his first experiment a miser-
ably made infant, one that had come in
to the world at an injudiciously early
period. This infant was placed in the
incubator, provided with a nursing
bottle, and kept III a dark room. To
the surprise of the doctor, It ceased to
cry on the second day after it was placed
IN the incubator, and, although it had
previously been preternaturally sleep
less child, it sank into deep and quiet
sleep The child remained in the in
cubator for eight weeks, during which
time it never once cried, and
never remained awake except
when taking nourishment It grew
rapidly, and when, at the expiration of
sixty days, it was removed from the in
cubator, it presented the appearance of
healthy infant of at least year old.
Delighted with the success of the ex-
pertinent, DIR. Tavernier next selected
an ordinary -months-old infant addict
ed TO the usual pains and COLES, and
exhibiting the usual fretfulness of
French infants. This child conducted
itself while In the incubator precisely as
It's predecessor had done. It never
cried; it spent its whole time in sleep,
and it grew as if it had made up It's
mind to embrace the career Of profess
sional giant. Alter a six weeks stay in
the incubator it was removed and
weighed; during this brief period it had
doubled its weight. It had become SO
SO strong and healthy that it resembled
a child 3 years old, and it could actually
walk when holding on to a convenient
piece Of furniture. These two expert
ments satisfied DR.. Tavernier of the vast
advantages of artificial child incubation.
He Immediately proceed -, with the
permission of the auth, 80 of the
hospital, to construct an incubator of the
capacity of four hundred infants who
were In the hospital on the 10th day of
TNDID,. l., ~
enc who died Of congen1tal hydrocepha-
lus, and another who was claimed by its
repentant parents, the infants were kept
continuously in the incubator for six
months, when they were removed in con-
sequence of having outgrown their
narrow beds. The result will seem al
most Incredible to persons who are IN
familiar with the reputation of DR..
Tavernier, and have not seen the report
made to the French government by
select committt of twelve. The aver
age age of the infants last February was
8 months and B days-the youngest be.
ing less than 10 hours, Oldest not more
than IL months. Their average weight
was 16 pounds, only one of the entire
$50 having attained weight of 80
pounds. At the end of six months of
artificial incubation the average weight
Of each infant was "a pounds, and there
was not one who would not have been
supposed by casual observer to be at
least 2 years old. In other words, six
months of artificial incubation did as
much in the way of developing DR..
Tavernier's foundlings as three years of
ordinary life would have done. The in
fants were strong and healthy, as well as
big; they walked within a week of leav-
ing the incubator, and most of them
have since learned to talk. These re-
suits surpassed DR.. Tavernier's most en-
thusiastic expectations, and there can be
no doubt that his system of artificial
child incubation will be adoptednot only
in every child's hospital in France, but
in every private family throughout the
civilized world.