Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-03-02

soxg REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE N TEE
ARTIFICIAL srAHIsG or CHILDREN.
ESarisxry NeTs.1

4 AE4<AElAL We t-AAANA&ss
| ESanitaTy News.
| The report Of some remarkable expert
| nents comes from France The Glasgow
| Nal SAYS the immense soccess winch mas
| attended the artificial incubation OF
chickens in France recently attracted
the attention OF DR.. Tavernier, a learned
and ingenious physician. he was at
tached 10 a hospital for foundiInRs, and
Ways annoyed at tie large number OF
foCndiin9s who died within the first six
months of their life. The majority OF
shoss admitted TO tbs hospital were weak
and sickiy, and he resolved 70 try what
srtiicial Incubation would accomplish
4 applied 70 infants. The doctor con-
5tructed child incubator on precisely
he model of the ordinary chicken incu-
oaior. IL Was box covered with glass
siide, furnished with soft wooden bed,
anu KEEP. a. a Tnperafure of 20 degrees
Fahrenheit. by the aid of hot water. he
selected as the subject of his inst exper-
lInsHt miserable male infant; one tnal
had come into tie world at An inJuoi-
cinusiv eariy pariod. This infant was
placed in the incubator, and, although IL
.4.A,i previously bsen preternatulaiiy
sleepiess child, it sunk into deep ana
quiet sleep.
The child remained in the incubator
about eight weeks, during which time II
lever once cried. and never remained
wake except when taking ncurishment.
L crew rapidly, and when, at the expira
ton of sixty days, it was removed from
the incubator, it presented the appear
.nce of q healthy infant at least year
bid. Delighted with the success OF the
experiment., DR.. Tavernier next selected
an ordinary six months old infant ad-
dicted TO the usual pains and collie, and
exhibiting the usual fretfnlness OF IN
fants. This child conducted itself while
n the incubator precisely "a Its prece-
cessor had done. 1t never cried; tspent
III wnoie IiIns IN sleep, and II grew rs II
" had made up its aind to embrace the
,areer of giant. After a SIX weeks
STAY in tne incubator il was removed and
Weighed; during this brief period 1t had
doubled its weight. 1t had become so
strong and healthy that it resenbled a
;hiid three years old, and IT could actu-
lily walk when holding on TO a convent
sat piece of furniture. These two ex-
Deriments satisfied DIR. Tavernier OF the
vast advantages of artificial child Incu-
baton. He Immediately proceeded, with
the permission of the authorities OF the
hospital, to construct an incubator OF
he capacity of 400 infants, and IN this
ne placed every one of the $50 infants
who we're in the hospital on tbs 10th OF
February last.
With the exception OF ono who diedof
congenitai hydrocephalus, and another
sho was claimed by its repentant pa
rents, the infants were kept continuous
~ in the incubator for six months, when
they We're removed III consequence OF
having outgrown their narrow bed. Ihe
result will seem almost incredible to per-
sous who are unfamiliar with the repu
tation of DIR. Tavernier, and have not
seen the report made to the French Gov
eminent ON the subject by select com
tnittee of twelve. The average ago of
tho infants last February was eight
months and three days; the youngest
being less than twelve hours old, and the
oldest not more than III months. Their
average weight WAS sixteen pounds; only
one of tie entire $50 having attained n
weight of 81 pounds. At the end of SIX
months Of incubation the average weight
III each infant WIS "a pounds, and there
was not one who would not have been
Supposed by casual observer to be ut
least three years old. In other words.
six months of artificial incubation did
AZ much in the way of developing Dr.
Tavernier's fonndlings as three years of
ordinary life would have done. The in
fants were strong and healthy as we'll as
big; they walked within a week of leav-
ing the incubator, and most of them have
since learned to talk. These results ex-
ceeded DIR. ravernier's most enthusiastic
expoctations, and there can be no doubt
that his system OF child incubation will
be- adopted not only in France but in
every private family throughout the CIV
ilized world.