New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-07
HOW BABIES ARE CARED FOR
THE "CRADL-NYsT" ENDOWMENT OF THE
CRIBSIDE COMMITTEE.
CHILDREN Up TO FOUR YEARS OF AGE RE
CErvED-THE LARGER NUMBER OF CASES
ARE SUFFERERS FROM INSUFFICIENT
CARE AND FOOD.

ARE SUFFERERS FROM INSUFFICIENT
CARE AND FooD.
The Babies Hospital. al Nos s57 End $50 Lexing-
ton-ave has been in existence only nine years. but
IT i. the oldest institution Of kind in the city
Until II was started there really no place for
the hopelessly marasmic baby, who was forced
20 die in his usually wretched home. Babies I'M
der four years admitted. and a large percent
age Of them these same marasmic cases.
There are fo-ty-ihree beds IN the hospital and
when visited the other day there were forty-si1
patients. The large sunny ward on the first moor
receives children between two and three years DID,
and the white iron cribs. with dainty blue afghans
made a most attractive appearance. one little pa
tient was especially interesting. Although above
the allowed age she had been admitted for special
treatment. She was four years old when brought
TO the hospital. but had attained development
only equal 20 that OF a nine months old BABY. Inc
power Of speaking and walking was lacking ana
the child had only two teeth. She was what j.
now known as a ''cretan'-ihat is. a child who
has no thyroid glands In the throat She has been
In the hospital six months being treated with
thyroid extract from sheep. Under this treatment
she has shown wonderful improvement she mas
been rescued from a semi-idiotic condition. ana
has all her teeth. can walk ana SPEAK anu
indeed when seen was swinging happily In her
ba By rocker. and she looked Ike a brish; chd-
on the second floor are children between one and
two and the many babies suffering from pneu-
nonia are cared FOR here No medicine Is given
in the pneumonia treatment, az II Is fouhd 10 up
set the stomach and make the luckess infaht
worse Contamination. mustard and steam are
the only remedies. AZ one enters the hrst warn
on This floor the most striking object Il what APP
pears 10 be small tent. 1t i one OF the cots COW
cred with heavy canvas. The pneumonia patent
IS put inside this. and then steam j. brought III
through a small pipe. The steam is usually passed
through a medicated sponge the fumes from "hich
I -v71U
boiler beside the bed furnish all the steam that r.
needed Where the death rate IS 70 per cent on
the Island It is % per cent here
The really truly" babies are on the thlrd moor
and a. sorry-Iooklng lot they are too for the mos.
| part. Nearly all Of them seem 10 De ,iHs skin
/ and faces shrunken so tnat they seem mueh QUE
/ Of mothers who have worked in factories and nad
to let their babies grow up 81 HoI zen w.9
69I,n FOODS and dosed them with soothing
Of Woi ~ hem mno are 91 cured but the
/ majority arr brought there 20 die. They have one
their crtbs ana ,ucktd up in large baskets Even
! with this delight some OF tacn ar - no 80 =,
/ for,ed, and cry as if they did not Kno" no" u
The hospital depends entirely upon voluntary
/ Subscriptions Few Of the babies are paying pa
rehi ,od aH f- one Is e week The cost per day
! FOR each child Is s. q \ number Of beds are en-
/ dowed in perpetuty,' several are endowed Ior d
! lifetime: some ere supporter year -
! one OF the chief features Of the hospttal Is a
trainlng-school for nursery maids under ne qIreS
/ ton OF the hospital superintendent. Ms. marianne
| Wheeler The course lasts six nontns. durils
/ chicb time the women are paid sonnet hing Tor
1 their services and they also gain wide know
edge OF the diseases OF babies In the SIX uonIhss
taey come IN contact with more than Two nunaresl
/ patients There is a long waiting hst OF dPp!l-
| rants for the tralninC-schOOl. and the women ar,
| eagerly sought for soon as they are Gradua'eq
/ Miss Wheeler has sent them 70 Texas, MAIyIaii.I
! Maine Pennsylvania. Ohio. Illinois. Ne" Jersey
! New-York Connecticut, Massachusetts ana Ehs
| land. II. g.. ,.a-',.
! During the summer ronths the woFK Is hsf'
all transferred 70 their hospital at Oceanlc y -.
le-e they own a bout three acres OF grouna, when
has been beautifully laid out and three 2aIdin q
1 the main hospital the Hammersley cottage loI
/ tho older children and a recepton cottage "her I.
/ ratients are detained 10 avoid the possibility OF
] contagious disease. 4 small emergency "aru =
] ten- omen In the Neu-York buildings.
/ The hospital work has been greatly aidSd oy ne
/ crtbs,da Committee OF young women. They visit
/ the hospital in turn. two 81 them being on duty
/ each afternoon. 4 bed In the hospital has oeen
, endowed bv the Crbside Committee. 20 wnlcn they
/ have given the name Of era l-Nyst during me
winter they form sewing class ana make H'uc'
T OF he clothing FOR the babies.