Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-31

from wells or springs. In villages or cities
all such water should be boiled for half an
hour before it is given to infants, as 1t is
likely to contain poisonous matter OF vari-
GUS sorts, for long boiling kills or paralyzes
most disease germs and drives out DAD
gases which may be in the water. Wner~
ever there is a pure city water supply the
use of water from wells or springs should
be given up both for cooking and for drink
ing. The other way in which infants are
most apt to take in disease matter is IN the
milk which they drink. Milk from the
mothers breast can hardly produce indiges-
ton if the mother is healthy. Milk as it
comes from a healthy COW at pasture is free
from disease germs, though it may contain
poisons from poisonous herbs eaten by the
animal. Poisoning from herbs eaten by-tne
animal must be extremely rare, so we neeo
not fear it. The great trouble with the milk
supplied to babies in our great cities Is thas
disease germs get into it before 1t Is denver
ed in the city, either from the air, or iroln
the hands of the milkman, or from unclean
vessels in which tt Is carried, Or from III! IN
pure water added to the milk by the nlilk IA
man in his eagerness to have enough 70 "
around, Or used to wash the cans IN. Ii ~
disease or fermentation germs get ineo lne
milk the heat of tho sun or the snaKing "
which it is subjected will not hurt IL. l
will sneak of this again when l como to
treat of stSterilized Milk" Cows which
are kept in the city all the year. and espcc'
| iallv those which are fed on Stops and dlsI
tillery waste products. are unsuitable TO-
mich COWS. Not having enough fresh all
and exercise, they become unhealthy, ana
the milk which they give is unfit for use.
COW. to give good milk, must have good and
wholesome food. Cattle often become con.
sumptive if kept too closely housed and Ill
fed, and in many cases the milk OF these
cattle must contain the germs OF consump
ton. The State authorities ought to have
the power to forbid the sale Of milk from
COWS which are not healthy or not properly
fed and housed. The only way the people
can avoid such milk is to buy milk only
from country farmers, and to see that 1t II
sweet. smelling and is not sour to the taste
and does not curdle nor settle on boiling.
REVIEW OF THE FOUR CAUSES.
From this review of these four causes o.
summer complaint it will appear that 1t IL
possible fer very careful mother to pre-
vent the disease in most cases. Every
mother should understand the principles
here explained, and do all she can to apply
them in the care of her babies. Unfortu
nately the source of danger in many cases
is the carelessness and uncleanness o.
others, who obey neither the laws OK the
State nor the teachings of their own con
science. Let US hope that as knowledge o.
the causes Of disease increase, ard as tht
administration OF government becomes pur
er, time will come when the wholesale de
struction of infants seen each summer il
our great cities shall be thing OF the pas
when men shall wonder at the Ignorance
and the criminal neglect of known cuty
which fillsd the land at each returning no
season with suffering and lamentation
Well may we sympathize with the founder
sof children's sanitarium, near this city, IL
This grief at the loss OF his only children bJ
the summer complaint, and il his determin
alton 'to devote part of the great wealth
with which God had blessed him to tbs
cure Of little children afflicted with summer
diseases, and to the study Of the causes o.
this fatal affection and Of the means by
which it may be prevented"