The record-union., 1898-04-10
FOUNDING HOME INSPECTED
THE INSTITUTION VISITED
YESTERDAY.
DR.. Ruggles Says He Knows of No
Better Conducted Similar
Institution Anywhere.

DR.. Ruggles, President of the State
Board of Health; DR.. t. W. Hunting
ton, President of the City Board OF
Health. and DR.. A NJ. Henderson of
the State Board of Health paid a visit
of inspection TO the Foundlings' Home
in this city yesterday afternoon, ac-
companied by a Record Union" re-
proter
Mrs. Nellie Clark, the matron, showed
them through the building and pointed
out the improvements that had been
made since DR.. Ruggles visited it, near
ly three years ago, before she became
matron.
The lower story has been finished off
into kitchen, a storeroom and din
ing-room. which are light and we'll
ventilated, showing no trace of damp
ness The rooms upstairs are undergo
ing the spring process of renovation,
and everything was clean, wholesome
and well-ventilated.
There are seventeen infants, ranging
from one to eleven months DID, dis
tributed in three nurseries, and all in
the best of health except one, which
was sick when it was brought there a
! five between one and two years of age,
healthy and hearty, and, like the
younger ones, showing that they re-
ceive the best of care. The remaining
thirty-one children range from two to
twelve years DID, and are all apparently
enjoying the best of health. There is
a school adjoining the Home, where
most of the children that are old
enough attend, one girl of II going to
the Capital Grammar School.
Mrs Clark, the efficient matron, has
been there a little over two years, and
she has improved greatly the efficiency
of the Home. She has a corps of seven
assistants. all bright, intelligent young
women, who seem to have imbibed a
genuine interest in their work, and are
assiduous in their care of the children.
DR.. Henderson has been for the past
nine months the supervising physician
of the Home, and has gradually been
| introducing reforms and improvements
and a thorough system into the man
agement Each child's weekly life is
delineated on its own chart, so that
! he can see at a glance whether il IS
doing we'll or otherwise its weight be-
! ing carefully recorded from week to
week, as well as other data relating to
! it's condition The assistants aid him
| IN this and in the reform he has insti-
! tuted in the children's diet, which is a
radical change from the former sys-
! tenn, and is showing its good fruits in
the improved condition of the little
ones The assistants watch the chang
! es closely, and yesterday one of them
said to him: Doctor, this baby has
i lost two ounces in weight this week,
and I don't know what is the matter" "
"Oh, well' was the reply. ''it is only
two weeks old, and babies at that age
always lose a little. That is all right.
+ Dr. Ruggles took note of every
thing during his visit, and asked a
number of questions. He expressed
himself as we'll pleased with the cool,
Well-ventilated rooms, and after leaV-
ing the building said to the reporter:
II authorize you to say for me that
I am we'll satisfied with the condition
of the Home and there is no institution
! of the jkind that l know of anywhere
that is better or more carefully con-
Quoted as is evidenced by the healthy
/ condition of the children"
! DR. Huntington expressed himself
much to the same effect. There has
been but one death in the institution
for the past seven months-an extra
tordinarily low rate of mortality among
such young children.