The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-09-17
SETH Low.
INFANT INCUBATORS.
A Successful Machine for Raising
Weakly British Babies.

Weakly British Babies.
At the Victorian Era exposition at
Earl's court recently novel treatment
of prematurely born and weakly in
fants was opened to private inspection.
The situation of the model institution,
which is of considerable dimensions,
having 60-foot frontage and a CORE
spending breadth of 25, is in the line
Of buildings in the Western gardens, OPP
posite the old Welcome club. 1t is con-
veniently divided into three sections.
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 wadding or in a sheepskin
with the wool adhering. In some coun-
tries they were put in jars of feathers
or cradle was drawn close to the
hearth. N. TURNER'S couveuses have
done good service at the Paris Materni-
ty hospital, and other apparatus has
been usefully employed to limited ex-
tent; but nothing so regular and uni
form, so pure and wholesome In its
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
pipe four inches in diameter connected
with an air box, and before entering
1t Is made moist by passing through a
small sheet of antiseptic absorbent
wool. The air then passes through
dry wool, which retains the SCOT and
other impurities of the atmosphere.
From this filter the air traverses an
other pipe leading to the center of the
incubator. Over it's oriflce Is placed
disk for uniformly distributing the air
and above all is q three-foot chimney
with horizontal revolving fan. which
compels the exhausted air to escape.
The uniform heating Of the case IL
produced by hot water drawn from an
external boiler heated by paraffin, gas
or electricity, the circulation being ef-
fected by copper pipe running beneath
the wire hammock. In the right hand
wall is fixed thermostat, connected to
q light chain, which suspends an
aluminium cone lid over the lamp Of the
boiler. and its expansions and contrac-
tons automatically control the tenn
perature to the degree to which the ap-
paratus is set. A thermometer sus-
pended inside one Of the glass doors
renders possible observations Of the
temperature Of the interior, while
hygrometer similarly indicates the
! moisture of the air within. - London
Standard.