Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-04-05
CHILD INCUBATION.
A French Scientific Substitute Ter
Mothers. 81

The report OF some remarkable experi-
merits in so-called artificial child incuba.
ton comes from France. The Glasgow
Mail says that the immense success
which has attended the artificial incuba.
tion Of chickens in France recently at
tracted the attention Of DR.. Tay-
ernier. learned and ingenious physi-
cian. he was attached to hospital for
foundlings,a and was annoyed at the large
number OF foundlings who had died
within the fret six months of their life.
The majority of those admitted to the
hospital were weak and sickly, and he re.
solved to try what ARTIFICIAL incu baton,
would accomplish ifsapplied to infants
The doctor constructed child incubato
on precisely the model of the ordinary
chicken incubator It was box covered
with glass slide. furnished with soft
woolen bed and kept at the temperature
OF eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit by the
aid of hot water. He selected as the sub
Ject OF his first experiment miserabty
made infant, one that had come into the
world at an injudiciously early period.
This infant was placed in the Incubator.
provided with nursing bottle, and kept
in o 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 a
preternaturaliy sleepless child it sank
into deep and quiet sleep. The child
renamed IN the incubator for about eight
weeks, during which time it never once
cried, and never remained awake except
when taking nourishment. Il grew
rapidly, and when, at the expiration of
sixty days IL was removed from the in
cubator, il presented the appearance of
healthy infant of at least year old,
Delighted with the success of the experi.
ment, DIR. Tavernier next selected an or.
binary six-naonths old infant addicted to
the usual pains and collie, and exhibiting
the usual fretfulness of French infants.
The child conducted itself while in the
incubator precisely as its predecessor had
done. 1t never cried, it spent its whole
time in sleep, and it grew as il it had
made up its mind TO embrace the career
OF professional giant. After a six
week. stay in the incubator it was re-
moved and weighed; during this brief
period it had doubled its weight. II had
become 30 strong and healthy that tire.
sembled child three years old. and Il
could actually walk when holding on to
convenient piece of furniture. These
two experiments satisfied DR.. Tavernier
of the vast advantages of artificial Chi d
incubation. He Immediately proceeded,
with the permission of the authorities of
the hospital, to construct an incubator
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 Of congenital hydrnce-
phalus, and another who was clsimed by
repentant parents, the infants were kent
continuously in the incubator for six
months, when they were removed, in
consequences OF having outgrown their
narrow beds. The result will eeem al Y
aess naes hol sssh sks report 5 nsds
the French Government on the subject
by select committee OF twelve. The
average age of the infants last February
was eight months and three days, the
youngest being less than twelve hours
old and the eldest not more than eleven
months. Their average weight was six
teen pounds, only one of the entire $50
having attained weight of thirty-two
pounds. At the end of six months of ar,
tificial incubation the average weight OF
each infant was twenty four pounds, and
there was not one who would not have
been supposed by casual observer to be
at least three years old. In other words,
six months of artificial incubation did as
much in the way of developing DR..
Tavernier's foundllngs as three wears of
ordinary life would have done. The in
fants were strong and healthy as we'll as
big, they walked within week of leaving
the incubator, aud most of them have
since learned to talk. These results sur
passed DR.. Tavernier's most enthusiastic
expectations and there can be no doubt
that his system of artificial child incuba-
tion will be adopted, not only in every
child's hospital in France, but in every
private family Throughout the civilized
world.