Evening journal., 1897-11-03
INFANT .lNcusAroRs.
A Successful Machine for Raising
Weakly British babies.

weakly British babies.
At the Victorian Era exposition at
Earl's court recently a novel treatment
of prematurely born and -Yeally in
fants was opened to private inspection.
The situation OF the model institution,
which is of considerable dimensions,
having a 60-foot frontage and a corre-
spending breadth of 25, is in the line
Of buildings in the Western gardens, op-
posite the old Welcome club. 1T is con-
yesiently divided into three sections.
In the Genital one are the handsome
nickel-plated and plate glass incuba-
tors, in which the infants are placed,
neatly wrapped in cotton wool and
laid on little white coverlets. One wing
of the building, which is built Of brick,
is arranged as a model nursery, while
the other is used for the Offices OF the
nurses and medical men in charge.
The most important considerations in
the vitality OF premature infants are
weight and temperature, and on these
features depend entirely the chances
! of saving their lives. AS general fact,
infants weighing less than two pounds
three ounces die on the day Of their
birth. OF those under three pounds
five ounces half are saved by the Altman
apparatus. In the primitive methods
of years ago the puny babies were
wrapped In wndding or In n sheepskin
with the wool adhering. In some coun-
tries they were put in jars of feathers
or a cradle was drawn close to the
hearth NJ. Turner's couyeuses have
done good service at the Paris Materni-
ty hospital, and other apparatus has
been usefully, employed TO a limited eX-
tent; but nothing so regular and uni
form, 50 pure and wholesome In It's
operation, has heretofore been devised.
The new apparatus was explained to
the audience Of Prof. Coney, of Heidel-
berg-its paramount qualification be-
ing the automatic maintenance Of a
uniform temperature, the incubator
is q metal and glass case under a cubic
yard in capacity. The front portion
is formed by two swinging doors. The
child rests on the coverlet of fine wire
} hammock suspended from the four
corners. The air is supplied through d
pipe four inches in diameter connected
with an air box, and before entering
IL is made moist by passing through Q
small sheet of antiseptic absorbent
wool. The air then passes through
dry wool, which retains the SCOT ant
other impurities of the atmosphere
From this filtG the air traverses an
other pipe leading TO the center OF th'
incubator. Over its orifice is placed 1
disk for uniformly distributing the ali
and above all is n three-foot Gimme,
with horizontal revolving fan, whicl
I compels the exhausted air TO escape
, The uniform heating OF the case
> produced by hot water drawn from al
2 external boiler heated by parafin, ga
i or electricity, the circulation being ei
. fected by copper pipe running beneat
e the wire hammock. In the right han'
wall is fixed thermostat, connected L
Z q light chain, which suspends a.
aluminium conc lid over the lamp Of tn
I, boiler, and It's expansions and contraC
( tions automatically control the ten
Z perature TO the degree 70 which the al
y paratus is SET. A thermometer SUI
/. pended inside one of the glass door
= renders possible observations OF tn
) temperature Of tho interior. while
{ hygrometer similarly indicates tn
/. moisture of the air within. - Londo
: / EfonJor1