The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-07-15
WEDNESDAY. JULY Is, 1896.
BABY INCUBATORS.
A PHYSICIAN TELLS OF THE CON-
sTRucTloN AND OPERATION.

Tlss Apparatus Is Very Simple and mex
pensive, but Attendance Is Costly--Ii
Addition to Saving Life, Each InOuba
tion Contributes Useful knowledge.
In sharp contrast to the lavish reck
lessness with which noble, splendit
lives are often sacrificed to some futile
ignoble cause, is the infinite vigilanc
and care, the ingenuity and skill tina
are sometimes expended upon preserving
and tanning into flame little sparl
that has hardly attained the dignity o
being called life
Doubtless most are familiar with thu
metal receptacle 4 by 2. standing OF
four legs about waist high, with small
water pipe and heating apparatus OF
one side and cold air pipe and addi
tional apparatus ON the other known as
the infant incubator. But perhaps few
realize the patient skilled watching and
the consequent expense necessary to the
bringing forward Of the little inmate,
until it shall be able to take its place in
the world as a real live and kicking"
baby.
At the first appearance upon LIES
stage of this speck Of humanity "scarce
half made up" it is swathed in bun
die of absorbent cotton and laid in its
little nest, with nothing to distract its
attention but a perfectly accurate ther-
mometer, to which it, however, seems
wholly indifferent The glass lid is then
almost closed Experience has taught
the physicians that il is better to leave
it open a little space. A trained nurse
at once takes her place by the side of
this unique object and keeps constant
guard over temperature, conditions of
air, etc Absolute quiet and subdued
light are among the requirements. The
temperature may range from 90 to 90
degrees. In cases of low vitality it is
kept at 98, and with the most robust is
never allowed to go below 90 degrees.
Then every hour the little charge must
be fed This is sometimes accomplished
by means of dropper, but more often
little rubber tube is passed through
the mouth and esophagus into tho stom-
ach, and into this tube is slowly poured
u
pared food. Thus in the "a hours about
three ounces Of food are absorbed. This
food is made after a formula arranged
by most expert chemist and changes
from day to day according to the devel-
opment of the baby.
Every SO hours the little gown Of alb
sorbent cotton is exchanged for per-
e l.n ,oNa al
The food and clothing of this embryo
parsonage are not, therefore, great bills
Of expense but its lodgings, its physi-
clan and nurses make up pretty sum
for its indulgent parents.
It will easily be seen that the only
requirements for raising baby in an
incubator are perfectly even, high
temperature, pure air and food the
nearest approach possible to its natural
food. But simple as this sounds it has
taxed every resource Of the best engi-
neering and sanitary authorities. the
finest psychologists and chemists in
the country to arrive at the present
state OF advancement An incubator as
it is now perfected costs about 5000. A
few firms have them to rent, and as the
demand for them is naturally small one
may be rented at any time.
DIR. Rotch, who is responsible for
many of the recent improvements Of the
incubator, has been very successful in
its use. He insists upon having always
two trained nurses, so that no moment
may there be the risk of change il
conditions which might turn the scale
the wrong way. This OF itself means
$50 week, and the time of incubation
is usually from two months to ter
weeks. But the baby so saved comes il
time to be quite the equal Of his fellow
who followed the good, old fashioned
ways.
Hospitals cannot boast as great sue
cess from their experience with incu
bators, although several include ont
among their appliances. In the frs
place 1t is often case where the tin,
Mohammed must go to the mountain
and it is almost impossible to accomplish
this without some little exposure. Thel
in most cases the child has not onl,
premature birth to struggle with, bu
the worst factor of having come from il
conditioned, badly nourished and Offer
Incorporate parents. Besides, no nurs'
in a hospital, no score of nurses, can S,
arrange that one shall always have al
eye ON the thermometer; and the 90 o.
more full blown babies will not upoI
demand refrain their voices from weep
ing out of consideration for the sensi
tiveness of their delicate little comrade
The hospital people are sometimes
asked why they make 80 great an effor
to save the lives of these poor littl'
creatures who, at the best, must ente
the race of life fearfully handicapped
Their argument, of course, is that tn,
tiniest life in embryo has a right to it
chance; but their interest is doubles
largely scientific. Physicians from
Maine to California, from the 81. Law
renee to the gulf, are constantly looking
to these hospitals for the latest and bes
results of their researches and expert
ments, and by studying the treatment
and watching the development of cases
here, the incubating process included,
they may be able to save many life
nearer home Besides, who can foretell
whether the tiny atom may not turn out
q Lincoln or Wagner as we'll as COM
monplace Smith or Jones?-M. ID. in
Chicago Record.
Big Prices Paid by Magazines.
Fabulous prices are sometimes pait