Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-01-13
Raising Babies by Machinery.

The Immense success WHICH has at
tended the artificial incubation of chick.
ems in France recently attracted The al
tenlion of DR.. Travernier, learned
and ingenious physician. He was at
tached to hospital for foundlings, and
was annoyed at the large number IF
foundlings who died within the first
six mouths of their lite. The majority
OF those admitted to the hospital were
weak and sickly, and he resolved to Try
what artificial incubation" would ac-
complish if applied to infants. The
doctor constructed child incubator on
precisely the model OF the ordinary
chicken Incubator. 1t was box COW
cred with glass slide, furnished with
soft woolr: bed, anG kept at the tenn
perature OF eighty six degrees, Fahren-
heit, by the aid of hot water. He Sc
lected as the subject of his first expert
mcnt a miserably-mlde infant, one that
had come into the world at an injndi
ciously early period. This infant was
placed in the incubator, provided with
nursing bottle, and kept in dark
room. TO the surprise of the doctor,
it ceased to cry on the second day after
it was placed in the incubator, and al
though it had previously been a prefer
naturally sleepless child, it sank into
deep and quiet sleep. The child re-
manned in the incubator for about eight
weeks, during which time it never once
cried, aud never remained awake ex.
cept when taking nourshment. 1t
grew rapidly, and when, at the explra
ton OF sixty days it was removed from
the incubator, it presented the appear
ance Of healthy infant at least year
old. Delighted with the success OF the
experiment, DR.. Traverner next Sc
ected an ordinary ixmon,hs old infant
addicted to the usual pains and cohc,
and exhibiting the usual freliulness OF
French infants. This child conducted
nselt while in the incubator precisely as
its predecessor had done. 1t never
cried it spent its whole time in sleep,
and it grew rs if it had made up It's
MUD to embrace the career of pro
trssioDal giant After six weeks stay
in the incubator it was removed and
weighed; during this blief period it had
doubled its weight 1t had become so
strong aud healthy that it resembled "A
child ,hree.yea old, and it could actu
ally walk when holding on to con
venient piece of furniture. These two
experiments satisfied DR.. Travernier of
the vast advantages of artificial child
incubation. He immediately proceeded,
with the permission OF the authorities
of the hospital, TO construct an lncuba-
tor of the capacity OF 400 infants, and
in this he placed every one Of the 800
infants who were in The hospital on the
10th day of February last, With The
exception OF one who died CT congenl,al
UNDERGRADUATES, and another who was
reclaimed by its repenlant parents. the
infants were kept contlnuousl y III the
incubator for six months, when they
were removed in consequence OF having
outgrown their narrow beds. The re
suit will seem almost Incredible TO per
Sons who are unfamiliar with the repn-
talion of DIR. Travernier and have not
eeen the report made To the French
government on the subject by select
committee of twelve. The average age
of !he infants last February was eight
months aud three days-the youngest
being less thar twelve hours old aud
the eldest not more than eleven months.
Their average weight was sixteen
pounds, only one OF the entire $50 hav-
lug attained weight of thirly.two
pounds. At the end of six months of
artificial incubation the average weight
OF each infant was twenty four pounds,
and there was not one who would not
have beer supposed by a casual obser>
yer TO be at least three years old. In
other words, six months of artificial in.
cubation did AS much in the way of de
veloping DR.. Travcrniers toundlngs as
three years of ordinary life would have
done. The infants were strong and
healthy as well as big they walked
within week Of leaving the incubator,
and most OF them have since learned to
Talk. These results surpassed DR.. Trav-
ernier's most enthusiastic expectations,
and there can be no doubt that this
system of artificial child incubation will
be adopted, not only in every child's
hospital in France, but in every private
family thronghou, the civilized world
GiusgOw MaH