The evening world., 1894-05-17
SICK BABIES FUND.
A Movement to Help the Help
less Poor Of the City.
II Is Recommended 10 the Suffraqists
by a Charity Commissioner.
Child Health and Child Life De-
stroyed by Ignorant Nurses.

Half the sickness and 90 per cent. OF
the deaths among the babies of the poor
are due to improper nourishment.
Gertrude Atherton said. In recent
contribution to suffrage literature: THE
average mother is a fool" a collector
Of vital statistics who is preparing a
report for the County Medical Society
on THE Increase OF Infant Mortality"
says: Mrs. Atherton Is mistaken: the
average mother is a criminal. who muir
ders the health OF the children she does
not kill. Bad foods, which the delicate
organs cannot digest, produce convul-
sions. and the child dies. Meat. sips
OF tea Pud coffee, diseased milk. bread
and bananas, the staple fruit. are the
weapons IN the hands OF ignorant moth
ers that Kill more children the second
Summer and every Summer than all
the teething and diseases combined"
A member OF the Commission of Chari-
ties and Correction refused to sign the
petition for equal righ.s. When asked
why he objected he said:
because public-spirited women OF intel
ligence and influence are not doing the
less sisters. Men don't want to be. ele-
waited They can look out for them
selves. II is the infant citizen, the child
population, that needs raising and ele-
moveme Mt that might be made for better
homes, better health and better care Of
the little folks. and thought that the
Sick Babies Fund II The Evening
| World" was as good an example as the
restless women could follow. He spoke
of the abandoned and committed" chill
/ dren. OF the babies who went barefoot
and ill-clad tn -ough infancy; OF the
. fh,t u.h "a "a
helped to make invalids and drunkards,
and the utter helplessness Of young
mothers graduated from shops and fac
tories.
/ THE very help that our poor women
need most the Sick Babies Fund has
/ been giving for the last six Summers.
Free physicians, paid by. the contrihu-
tions of THE Evening World" readers,
have gone the rounds of misery and in
! the kindlest way volunteered their
services. The sick have been cured, the
weak protected from disease. the needy
assisted and the respondent encouraged.
This programme is still in operation
and viii be followed until the Fall. A
big fund Will be, raised. for all the old
friends of the sick babies and thousands
OF new ones are expected to subscribe,
each n dollar or a dime: preparations
are being made 20 supply the des-
Ing and medicine. and in the house TO
house visits Of the doctors not hundreds
but thousands OF tots will be prevented
| a case found yesterday by one Of the
stan physicians shows the need OF this
| benevolent newspaper work.
! The most pitiful case I saw" said
| the doctor. was on Thirty-ninth street
For six weeks mother has been III
with rheumatism. unable to move, and
both hands bandaged. The father has
been out of work the greater part OF
the Winter. but now Is employed during
the. day and at night devotes himself
TO his pale. thin. suffering wife and to
his -four, children, nearly all OF whom
are helpless. He cooks the meals, keeps
the house In order (?) and does the best
he can to give the necessary care to the
/ children. Needless to say they suffer
some neglect; one has bronchitis and
another con iunctivitis, which is receiv ?
Ing no care beyond an occasional doubt
full cleansing. The poor mother looks
on 1t all in most pathetic way, suffer
Ing more mentally from her inability
| TO minister to her dear ones than from
the rheumatic palms that torture her
! body"
Address all letters containing money
to the Cashier Of " The World" and moi
/ only this. but all cases like it, found by
the free doctors will be relieved