Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-20
CARING FOR CHILDREN
Sharp Discussion as to the Value of Found
ling Hospitals.
Mr.. Woodward's Plan Opposed by
several Physfcians and Laym~n-
The Congressional Investigation.

After The Stars report OF the charities
Investigation closed yesterday there was q
long discussion OF the subject OF the care of
fcundlirgs. There was a wide divergence OF
opinion upon this matter between the board
OF children's guardians and the representa-
lives of the founding hospitals.
Mr.. Woodward and Mr.. Mann of the
beard of children's guardians disapproved
OF the existence of founding hospitals Mr.
Woodward held that such Institutions not
Only caused great mortality among the In
fants committed to them, but that they
tended to perpetuate immortality by making
II easy for persons to shoulder upon the
state their fllegitimate children. which they
should be compelled to keep themselves
MI. simon Wolf of the board of children's
guardians, however, took sharp issue with
MI. Woodward upon this point. and entered
Els protest against II. He said such an
OPINION could not be the unanimous ex-
preston OF the board. He thought that the
prese nee of founding hospitals In a com
inuhity decreased infanticide and lessened
iBmorality
MIR Woodward's plan for taking care of
1oundlings was to turn them over to the
board of children's guardians, where the
1rst effort would be I'm the direction of az
certaining the parentage of the little out
cast ana compelling its parents to provide
Tor AZ. Then, IL il We're necessary that il
should be burden upon the state Il should
be placed in charge of a nurse who would
De PAID Tor taking care of Il during its in
FANCY he said this would put the child in
a nome atmosphere and would add to its
chances OF surviving Its infancy.
lie iwelt upon the high rate of mortality
existing In founding institutions. amount
ing to 40 per cent
Or. j. Wesley Bovee did not agree with
Mr. woodward about the sanitary features
OF placing the children out to nurse He
said that medical statistics proved that in
hospitals and institutions disease could he
handled more successfully than in the gem
erai private practice of physicians The
reason there was SO much mortality among
foundlin2s was because of the fact tina
such large percentage of them were i'm
the last stages of disease and exhaustion
when found. The little things were usually
the offspring Of diseased and degraded
mothers. lacking nutrition, and were often
SUBJECTED TO exposure Immediately after
blrth that was necessarily fatal TO them
This view of the matter was sustained
10y Mr. w. F. Mattingly Of the Washing
ton Hospital for Foundlings and by DR.
lorlng OF st. AIMS Infant Asylum DIR.
Loring paid e high tribute to the method
OF conducting st. AIMS. He said il was
ron-sectarian. I'm that it admitted children
OF all denominations and color. They were
kept there until they were six years of
age, When they were sent to some orphan
asylum, TO the country or to some proper
institution.
Mr.. NJ. /. Weller spoke briefly in behalf
OF st. AIMS, and said one feature of its
work was in caring for the children of poor
parents, VINO wanted them temporarily
supported until they could resume their
charge.
Agent Lewis of the board of children's
guardians made an argument along the
lines of Mr.. Woodward's remarks