The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-25


are able to settle all the difficulties OF the
world by ourselves Men are beginning t.
ind out, too, that they alone are not able
to settle all the difficulties of the world
In the work of the world, in the sanitation
of the home, the better way of living, we
need the best thought of the very best peo
pie, both men and women. There never
was better day than to-day. 1t is better
/ than Yesterday"
| DIR. Florence SaItonstall was called upon
to read her paper upon Infant Mortality,
and was loudly applauded when she ap-
| peared on the center OF the platform, paper
in hand. She said, in part:
The term sinfant' includes that period of
life between birth and the end of first denti-
ton, when early childhood begins. The term
is generally considered to extend to FIVE years
of age, and statistics upon infant mortality are
computed for that period.
Quetelet has shown that tenth of the chill
dren born die in the first month after birth,
and quarter before the year is completed.
This is a fearful fact to contemplate and one
well calculated to alarm every one interested
in child life.
Is this mortality necessary evil? believe
not, and shall endeavor to show that it is in
large measure due to preventable causes,
either imperfect conditions OF the parents
infant is cared for, or the faulty sanitary con-
ditions that the Government has placed about
the babe.
The mortality of the entire human race
amounts, roughly speaking, to SO ,000, 900 per-
sons year. This makes the average deaths
per day over 81 900, being at the rate of 1880
an hour, or go people every minute of the Gay
and night the year round. More than fourth
OF the race die before completing the eighth
year and one-half before the end of the seven
tenth year.
sibie to obtain reliable statistics to the death
rate of infants. We do know that not only
are the babies lily cared for, but infanticide is
common among the girl children In Russia
the death rate high n RI ir6 iStri
% per cent OF the children die under 8 years of
age-about 1000 900 pershing annually This
is due to the ignorance and physical depravity
OF the peasant classes and to the damp, dark,
lily ventilated homes in which they live. Epi-
denies of children's diseases, particularly
d1phtheTia, sweep unchecked through the vii
lagos, and at times in certain districts the child
population is actually swept from the face of
the country.
The corrected statistics of DR.. Ekland show
us that in the large cities OF the United States
the infants dying under one year of age aver
age 10 per cent of the number born. The high
death rate credited TO America is ascribed to
whose natality and infantile death rate are
enormous are forcibly exported in great num-
bers to this country, large proportion going
to our cities. Nearly three-fourths of the in
fants in New York City have foreign mothers,
and 1t is safe to say that fourfths of the infant
mortality is among the children of inmi-
grants. Among the cities of the United States,
New York stands at the head, with Death
rate of 25 out of every 100; Boston next with
mortality of "a. San Francisco is thirteenth
on the list, with mortality of 15 per cent.
The abstract of sanitary reports issued by the
Treasury Department at Washington for the
United States Marine Hospital service shows
June, July, August and September of 1894
over 5000 infants persisted with cholera in
fantum. In California for the whole year of
1894, 227 babies died of the same disorder,
showing that cholera infantum is practically
an almost unknown disease with us. From the
same source the report for eight districts of
that there were $50 deaths from diphtheria,
the lowest rate for ten years For Philadel-
phia, from January % to February u, 1895, a
were reported, with IL death H death rate
q q c sa 70 for January Of this year
comparisons in the different children's dis
eases, measles, scarlet fever and whooping
cough, could be further carried on with the
same remarkable statistics for California.
Diseases of dentition and the horrors of the
..second summer for infants are unknown
Dfphtheria, scarlet fever, measles and other cpl
dem1c diseases of infancy and childhood pur-
sue mild course, and in some districts there
is absolute immunity from their ravages. As
mothers and guardians of infants in this great
State of ours it is for us to send forth the glad
hdings of what can be done for the children
within our gates. We have been won't to extol
the climate OF California for the cure of tuber-
culosis and kindred diseases and have drawn
to US consumptives from harsher climates, who
at best can exc out but half existence. Let
us rather, with better things in view, invite the
parents to bring their children here to grow nm
in this out-ofdoor life, in this God-given air SO
full of Astounding vitality that disease can find
no place to enter. Dr. William Simpson of San
Jose, who, believe, is the first to draw public
attention to the comparative statistics of in
FAINT mortality between California and the
Eastern States, in his enthusiastic way speaks
of California as "the sanitorium and PLAY
ground for the children OF the world"
Taking up the intrinsic causes producing in
FAINT mortality the most prominent factor is
oil fr,l1r
new born dying from this cause. The child
may be born in an undeveloped condition OF
so feeble as to be unable to sustain life. These
conditions are the result of ante-natal causes,
inherited constitutional diseases from one or
both parents or devitalized condition of the
parents themselves.
measures we shall consider the mother first.
Every. mother during CESSATION should be
placed under the best possible surroundings,
relieved from the pressure of oyerwork or men
tai anxiety, and by close observation of the
laws OF health seek to maintain as high grade
ofphysical well-being possible. A reform is
middle and working classes the mother of the
family does the housework, the family wash
Ing. the sewing and the general care-takng.
The periods of collaborating are not marked by
any cessation of her labors, and as the result
her children are born deficient in nerve power
and without resistance to meet the ills of in
fancy.
AS the greatest mortality among the new
born occurs the first day of their lives careful
attention should be given to the first services
rendered to the little one. First, the bathing
should be done quickly in warm room, with
out draughts, and with a temperature of the
water at SO deg. The infant should then be
dried beneath warm flannel covering, greatest
care being taken to prevent chilling Of the SUR
face; then enveloped in soft flannel garments,
without constructing bands and placed away
to rest. Sleep is the first necessity, and nor
mally an infant, through the first few weeks of
its life, should sleep twenty out OF twenty -four
hours. For no reason whatever should the
slumbers of an infant be disturbed; light and
fresh air should be freely admitted into the
room where it lives. Every effort should be
made to encourage the mother to nurse her
child, for upon no artificial method of feeding
the infant, no matter how carefully con-
Quoted, can the child be reared to such
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