The evening world., 1891-06-19
KILLED BY THE HEAT.
Nell Nelson Gives Some Figures
About the Deaths of Tots.

About the Deaths of Tots.
The death list for the first three days OF
this week exceeds the usual mortality at this
season Of the year In its frightful total. Mon
day there were 1lG deaths; Tuesday, l43,
and Wednesday, III. OF this silent major
ity 3O4 were less than fivc years OF age, an
average OF 100 babies day succumDing to
the plaques OF infancy.
The dreaded Intestinal diseases carried OF
most Of the children, many OF whom could
have been saved with Il little care, Il little In
tclligcnt nursing and the right Kind OF food.
II there is no comfort In the prediction OF
Registrar OF Vital Statistics John T. Nagle,
VI. d, that the death roll Is not as long as It
Will be when the hot wave that is following
this rain storm gets here, there IS also little
surprise, for the city is in filthy condition,
travel through Second, Mott, Duane, Leonard,
Mulberry, Pitt and Roosevelt streets being
positive menace to healthy respiration.
For reasons only known to the Street Com
missioner, garbage is allowed to accumulate
for an entire week, It's decomposition pOllut-
Ing the atmosphere and adding poison to the
already nOXiOus surroundings OF the poor
tenants. Inability to procure work during
the Winter, and the deprivation OF the neces-
sarics or life resulting therefrom, has so re-
duced physical strength that the intense
| heat Of the beginning OF the week was as fatal
as plague.
Leaving out Of the calculation the adults
| who SuCcumbcd during the three days men
| toned, and considering for the nOnce the 800
| babies and young children who met such un-
| timely deaths, 1t Is safe to say that fully
$50 could have been saved by the pro-
vision OF 80 cents a day. That means
medical advice such as a Free Physician
would give for the benefit or the entire
household, sweet milk, few delicacies like
eggs, fruits and cereals simple drugs for sanl-
| tary and hygtenic purposes, and transporta-
tion to and from the Park or across con-
venient ferry. That would be sl25 a day for
the salvation OF human life, which is not a
| fraction OF the money that Is wasted daily
at horse races, slugglng matches, summer re-
| sorts and places OF amusements.
| As Dr. Nagle and President Wilson, OF the
Health Board; DR.. W. Ii. Thompson, Profess
sOr OF Materia MedIca and Therapeutics In
the Medical University, say, and us every
medical man In the City OF New York knows,
fully half the mortality among infants and
| children IS due to preventable diseases, the
| result Of ignorance on the part OF parents
Nature is a wonderful healer, but In Il city
like this, in locality like Greenwich and
Mott streets and the extreme ends Or East
SeyCnty-third West Fifty-second, Bleecker,
sullivan, Second, sixth and Eighth streets,
she doesn't get II chance to reach her sub
jcCts.
The work of building and toning up the
weak, OF healing the sick and relieving the
| wants Of the unfOrtunates must be done by
| the summer corps OF free physicians, II the
death rate Is TO be kept down and human life
protected. Whatever these wise men aC-
complish, their Efforts TO be OF value must be
supplemented by creature comforts,by proper
food, suitable clothing, systematic doses OF
fresh air and encouragement. Those who
have money TO spare-and It is the duty OF al
10 spare little-can apply 1t to no more
worthy charity than the Sick Babies Fund
a tithe OF your blessings, the Scripture has
II, would save the wretched and strengthen
the weak.
Fifty cents for each private In Misery's
squad OF the rank and nle OF infancy Is not
great deal to ask Of the reader Wisely used
rs 1t win be, the Babies Fund will not only
succor the necessitous poor, but 1t will SAVE
the children, who have II just right to live.
NELL NELSON.