Evening journal., 1897-04-05
BABY INCUBAT0RS.
N PHYSICIAN Tells OF THE con-
sTRucIloN AND OPERATION.

Addition TO Saving a Lilo, Each Incuha-
lion Contributes Useful Knowledge.
Ii sharp contrast 70 The lavish reck- /
lcssrcss with which noble, splendid /
lives are oiten sacIpicod to some futile I
ignoble cause is the infinite vigilance 7
ana care. the ingenuity and skill that 4
are sometimes expended upon preserving /
and flaming into flame a little spark /
that has hardly attained the dignity Of
being called a life
Doubtless most ale familiar with the |
metal receptacle by ?, standing on
four legs about waist high. with q small !
water pipe and heating apparatus on
one side and n cold air pipe and addi-
tional apparatus on the other known az
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 i'm
the world as a real ''live and kicking
baby.
At the first appearance upon life's
stage of this speck of humanity scarce
half made up, it is swathod in bum
die of absorbent cotton and laid in its
little nest with nothing TO distract its
attention but a perfectly accurate ther-
mometor, TO which it, however, seems
wholly indifferent. The glass lid is then
almost closed Experience has taught
the physicians that it 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 q subdued
light are among the requirements. The
temperature msy range from 80 TO 9o
degrees. In cases of low vitality it is
kept at 9e, and with tho most robust is
mover allowed to 80 below 90 degrees.
Then every hour the little charge must
be ofcd. This IS sometimes accomplished
by means cf droppor but more oftei
little rubber tube is passed through
the mouth and esophagus into the stom-
ach, and into this tube is slowly poured
dram, about teaspoonful of pre-
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 36 hours the little gown of alb.
sorbent cotton is exchanged for a per-
fcctly fresh one of the same material
The food and clothing of this embryo
parsonage arc not therefore, great bills
Of expense but It's lodgings, its physi-
cian and nurses make up Il pretty sum
fer iis indulgent parents
lt viii easily be seen that the only
requirements for raising % baby in nm
incuhatcr arc q perfectly even, high
temperature, pure air and food the
nearest approach possible TO it's natural
food But simple as this sounds it has
taxed every resource Of the best engi-
noering and sanitary authorities, the
finest bacteriologists and chemists in
the country to arrive at the present
state of advancement An incubator as
1t is now perfected costs about 5000. a
few hrms have them TO rent, and as the
domapdfor them is naturally small one
may be rented at any time.
DR.. Rotch who is responsible for
many OF the recent improvements of the
incubator, has been very successful in
it's use. lio insists upon having always
two trained nurses, SO that no moment
may there be the risk of change in
conditions which might turn the scale
the wrong way This Of itself means
800 week, and the time of incubation
is usually from two months to ten
weeks. But the baby so saved comes in
time TO be quite the equal of his fellows
who followed tho good, old fashioned
ways.
Hospitals cannot boast as great sue
,stDe fVo4s, thafs a--r4o-.sas,gp ss.tth trnt.
hators, although several include ONT
among their appliances. In the frs
place il S. often case where the tin,
Mohammed must so to the mountain
and il is almost impossible TO accomplish
this without somo 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 oftei
intemperate parents Besides 10 nurs
in "a hospital, 10 score Of nurses, can S
arrange that one shall always have "a
eye ON the thermometer; and the 90 G
more full blown babies win not upo
demand refrain their voices from weep
ing out of consideration for the sens
tiveness Of their delicate little conrad,
The hospital people are sometim,
asked why they mako SO great an offoi
to save the lives cf these poor itt
creatures Nho, at the best, must cnt,
the race OF lie feorfully handicappc,
Their argument, of course, IS that q
tiniost life IN embryo has "a right to i
chance; bat thcir interest is doubtle
largely scientific. Physicians fro
Maine to California. from the St. Law
60 these hospitals for the latest and be
results of their researches and cxpeI
ments ard by studying the treamG
and watching the development Of cas-
here the incuhating process include
they may be able to save many Ii
nearer home. Besides, who can foret,
whether the tiny atom may not turn O
a Lincoln CT a Wagner as well as a COZ
monplace Smith or Joness-M d.
Chicago Record.