Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-12-30
INFANT iNcueAroRs.


A Saseessful Maclsins fop Raisanm
Weakly Brittsh BabieA
At the Victorian Era exposition -
Earle court recently novel treatmenk
Of prematurely born and weakly IN
fants was opened to private inspection
The situation Of the model Institution,
which is Of considerable dimendona
having . eo-foot frontage and a CORE
spending breadth q Is, Is in the line
Of buildings in the Western gardens, op-
poate the old Welcome club. II 10 con
veniently divided INTO three sections.
In the central one ara the handsome
nickel-plated and plate glass incuha-
tors, in which the infants are placed,
neatly wrapped In cotton wool and
laid on little white coverlets. One winr
OF the building, which Is built Of brick.
Ia arranged as model nursery, while
the other Is used for the offices Of he
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 a general fact.
infants weighing less than two pounds
three ounces die on the day Of their
birth. OF those under three pound
five ounces half aNsaved by the Altman
apparatus. In the primitive methods
OF years ago the puny babies wers
wrapped in wadding or in a sheepsluin
with the wool adhering. In some coun-
tries they were put in jars Of feathers
or cradle was drawn close to tho
hearth. NJ. Turner's couveuses have
done good service at the Paris Materni.
ty hospital, and other apparatus has
been usefully employed to q limited ex-
tent; but nothing so regular and un.
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 q
uniform temperature, the. incubator
Is metal and glass case under 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 througha
pipe four inches In diameter connected
with an air box, and before entering
It Is made moist by passing through q
small sheet of antlscptic absorbent
WOOL The air then passes through
iry 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
Over it's orifce Is placed a
lisk for uniformly distributing the air
md above all Is thce-foot chimney
With a horizontal revolving fan, which
'ompels the exhausted air to escape.
The uniform heating Of the case is
produced by hot water drawn from an
External boiler heated by paratIln, gas
n electricity, the circulation being e6-
ectedby copper pipe running beneath
he wire hammock. In the right hand
vail is fixed thermostat, connected to
Light chain, which suspends an
cone lid over the lamp Of the
oller, and It's expansions and contrac-
ions automatically control the tenn
erature to the degree TO which the OPP
aratus is set. A thermometer sus.
ended inside one Of the glass doors
enders possible observations OF the
emperature OF the interior, while
ygrometer similarly indicates the
loisture OF the air within. - London
tandard.