The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-16
TO SAVE LITTLE LIVES.
PhilGnthrOpiss strauss on Pure MIL.
Cor Children.

Cor children.
Mayor Myers has received from IEon.
Nathan Strauss. the wsll-known New
York phiianthropis;. a copy % a circular
letter sent out by Mr.. Strauss 10 the may
Ors throughout the country. dealing with
the subject OF pure milk for infants
Among the many other good works an
dertaken by Mr.. Strauss is that o. proviC-
ing pure milk FOR the infant children Of
the poor Of New York city. This work
has attracted general attention. M
Strauss says in the introduction Of his
letter that he has had so many Inquiries
from municipal authorities. phyai-
clans and others throughout the
country in regard 10 his work that he
has been prompted to prepare a uumbe-
OF items OF general Information for the
guidance Of those whose public position
or personal sympathies may give them q
special interest in trying to reduce the
sum of infant mortality.
1t IS a fact" he says, (which unfortu-
nately requires no demonstration. that
many thousands of infant lives are an
nually sacrificed for the lack of a pure
milk diet. The harvest Of death Is espe.
cially abundant in summer. when intes-
unal complaints are most prevalent among
children undcr years of age. The infant
ncurishment commonly accessible 10 the
poor is in hot weather so often replete
with the germs of disease that il is the
rule rather than the exception 10 ind in
the food relied on to sustain life the in
strument OF death.
This yearly slaughter OF the innocents
gees on in small communities as well as in
large cities. a neglec- of simple precau-
tons in the use of infants food win pro
duce the same results everywhere. l have
long held that the day IS not far distant
when IL VIII be regarded as a piece OF
criminal neglect to feed young children
on milk that has not been sterillzed. I
have addressed myself during the last
two years TO the task of placing within
reach Of every poor family in this city
absolutely pure forms OF infant diet.
These have been either milk carefully
sterilzed without admixture or IN combi-
nation with barley water or a little sugar.
OF course due precautions are taken to
see that the milk is drawn in the first
instance from healthy cows kept in stables
of a proper STANDARD of cleanliness.
THE best possible evidepce of the value
of this work In saving life is to be found in
the impression which it made on the in
FAINT death rate of New York last summer.
In presence of a long and exhausting
period of very hot weather favorable to an
increased mortality among the children Of
the poor, there was a decrease in the
month of July as compared with the CORE
spending month in 1898 of per cent. III the
deaths Of children under / year, and of
IL per cent. in the deaths over / and
under years. For August the de-
crease of deaths in the 1-year class was
6 per cent. and in the 2-year class, "a
per cent"
OF the deaths in New York from
diarrhoeal diseases, 50 per cent. are Of
children under years of age. 1t was
found that there was a decrease of 454 in
the number of deaths from this cause in
1894. as compared with 1892. Allowing for
the increase of population there should
have been under ordinary circumstances
420 more deaths from diarrhoea In 1894 than
in 1892. This would show a net saving Of
the lives of S74 children under years Of
age in that year. largely due to the insti-
tuition of sterilized milk depots by Mr.
Strauss. Similar methods have been sat
isfactorlly applied in Philadelphia, Pitts
burg. Cincinnati and Yonkers, and this
phase Of public hygiene is at present at
| tracing great attention in Europe.
Mr.. Strauss says that he Is unable to give
exact figures as to the cost, this depending
greatly upon local conditions. He is hav-
ing a pamphlet prepared. giving some
practical details Of his experience Much
simple plant and the most modest ex-
penditure.
ANY person of moderate intelligence"
he says. "can become thoroughly familiar
with the methods and processes of my
sterilized milk laboratory in less than a
week and can readily apply the knowledge
thus acquired to the duplication of its
work on any scale that may be attempted.
l shall be glad to give any such person
| duly accredited to me by some responsible
authority free access to every department
of my Row completed system of prepare
ton and distribution, and all possible data
needed to guide him in adapting the work
to different conditions"
Accompanying the letter is a pamphlet
giving a reprint OF Mr.. Strauss article in
the November Forum on How the New
York Death Rate Was Reduced"
Mayor Myers has referred the letter and
pamphlet to Health Officer Drummer for his
consideration. AS II is right on the line
of the pure milk supply for Savannah ao>
| vocated by DR. Drummer, he may be able
to take advantage Of some Of its sugges-
tions.