Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-06

hot weather, was discussed last evening in a
lecture full Of interest by DIR. 8. s. Adams.
The lecture was given under the auspices of
the Sanitary League. and while the audience
that gathered in the lecture hall Of the Column
bian University building was not a. large az
the importance Of the subject demanded nor
- the able discussion Of it warranted, still the
lecturer found An appreciative hearing. One
phase Of the subject. namely, that Of the
methods employed in sterilizing milk, was dis
eussed by DIR. Theobald Smith.
DR.. Adams said at the outset that the subject
OF the care OF children in hot weather was one
OF the most intricate and difficult problems pre-
sented 70 the physician and the scientist. Early
HE, he said, Is divided into infancy and child
hood The first period extends from birth
through a variable time, not, probably more
than thirty months, when the dentation Of some
twenty teeth is completed. The second period
closes with the completion Of the dentation.
INFANT MORTALITY IN THE HOT MONTHS.
Ee gave statistics from the mortality records
OF the District, which. hesaid, showed an alarm
Ing mortality, especially in July. In the month
Of July Of last year the deaths Of those under
one year Of age were 135, in August los and In
September III. For the same months last year
the deaths of those under FIVE years numbered
In July 407. in August 206 and in September
lS9. OF the G, 0S9 deaths last year there were
Also persons under five years OF age, more
than 80 per cent, while there were .5I1 persons
under one year of age.
It Was impossible to know exactly the extent
Of the sickness, but with these statistics OF NOR
taiity it was evident that there was n great deal
There are two general causes OF sickness, the
svoidable and the unavoidable. Under the lat
ter head may be placed sickness arising from
disease that Ia hereditary or from infection and
contagion. BY proper management the spread
of disease may be combatted and prevented
The season has a great deal to do with the
spread of disease. July is the sicklest month
of the year. There are certain elements In the
weather which favor this condition
In this section Of the country, he said, hot
waves, when the daily average temperature ID
over 20, occur with great regularity. There Is
generally one snch n period in May, two in
July and August and ono In September. The
extreme heat causes o great deal Of sickness
among infants, and it Is not only heat but sultry
heat The reg son that hot sultry day 10
harder on infslts is because the skin il not able
to perform Us functions, and what should be
earned of n rough this medium becomes o
charge on the bowels, hence dlarrhna Another
cause Of mort lity in nearly all large cities IL
the density of population, but in this city OF
wide streets and numerous parks this cause 10
not so prominent In certain sections Of the
city when ignorance and poverty prevail there
Il apt 70 be a good deal OF sickness
APRIME CAUSE OF SICKNESS.
Ignorance, the latter said, is productive Of
more sickness than poverty. Even though
poor, il q mother has intelligence enough to
understand Few simple rules and tho wisdom
to carry them out. infants will survive. The
main factori infant mortality is improper feed
ing The lecturer spoke of the vast difference
was that tho food should be good in quality and
sufficient IL quantity. All overlooking is dan
gerous.
Another canse Of infant mortality he stated
l. -
medical slthorities a. TO whether this is a cause
Of disease. In the opinion Of the lecturer there
was no reason why q child properly fed should
be sickened BIZ teethiug more than by any other
trivial cause He said that il was mistake to
begin artificial feeding with tie appearance of
the first tooth as was the custom with many
mothers He pointed out the danger Of press
ing food upon children when they felt the heat.
as they had the same disinclination to food as
older people ut such times To bring up
healthy infant required great care and the
strict adherence to certain principles. The
lecturer spoke especially OF the evils that were
likely to flow from mothers disregarding COM
petent advice in order to accept that Of those
who had brought mp large families.
He then discussed in interesting way the
question Of "How may city children be kept
healthy" There were several points which he
especially emphasized in his answer to this i'm
portanr question. Among them were pure air,
clean streets. clean houses. clean bodies. The
X,
drinking water, baths and food. He dwelt
upon the advantages Of such a city as Washing
ton. where the streets were wide and well
shaded Where there were abundance Of
parks and houses kept in O sanitary condition.
He thought that il was a mistake to leave such
o city for some country resort where the hy-
gienic advantages were not half so good. and
where the food was oftentimes brought from tho
city, aud in consequence not as fresh
as when obtained in the city. Tho
oh h
according to the season. Then he said people
are drea6fully afraid Of giving drinking water
70 infants This was a mistake. Water Of
medium temperature, cool water. not ice water,
should be giyen freely. In cases where the
body is. broken out with heat a bath in water
containing tablespoonful Of ordinary cooking
soda to gallon would be found to be benef-
ciaL Alcohol mingled with water made q more
expensive but equally good bath for such q
purpose.
PROPER FOOD A NECESSITY.
DIR. Adams spoke forcibly Of the necessity for
proper food suitable in quantity and quality for
the age Of the child. He said very emphati-
cally that no reason except actual incapacity
ought to be sufficient to induce a mother to re-
frain from performing the natural function Of
nursing her children In cases when IL was
necessary to find a substitute for mothers milk
he said that cows milk was the most satisfac-
torv He showed from charts displaved the
analysis OF the two milks. and said that the aim
was to make cows milk "a nearly like the
mothers milk az possible. The deficiencies in
cows milk was made up BY the use of sugar
cruel and barley water He had something to
say Of the various food Preparations, and OBJ
served that II the pretty pictures OF ROSY in
fants shown in the advertisements of these
foods could have companion pictures the
cadavers OF infants the res1ll. Of their use their
popularity would not be as great as was now
the case. He advised that all patent foods be
avoided
ASS rule. DIR. Adams said, children require
very little medicine. More can be accommodated
BY the proper regulation Of diet than by dosing.
He bad word to say about the evils of tie use
Of remedies found in stores and Of rags and
nipples used TO quiet ch ldren. The catalogue
of things TO be avoided was given as follows:
All patent foods. unripe fruits and vegetables
snowy and uncomfortable garments traditions
founded on ignorance and superstition. the ad-
vice Of those who have reared large families OF
old mammies and superar nuated child nurses
promiscuons and wholesale drugging, infant
panaceas, such as rags, nipples. &c. and I'M
clean nursery utensils He ventured the pre-
diction that if those rules were followed the
baby would be kept well and doctors bills
would be kept down.
DR. sMrTHs TALK.
Upon the conclusion of ms lecture DIR. Adams
introduced DIR. Theobald Smith. who discussed
sha t,nnortant subiect of the liberalization Of