The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13
INFANT MORTALITY LESS.
MODEM HYGIENB WOW RULES THE
NURsHRI

Few Babies Die of PrsvsntRblo Diseases
Antitoxiu Has Robbe0 Even Diphtheria
of Its T-errors-CastOr OIL No Longer n
Panaoea for All the Ills OF Babyhood.
Life in babyland isn't what II used to be. II
babies could talk they'd probably say so in one
mighty cooling. gurRling voice that would
rattle The pearly gates. II 10 didn't quite do
that IL would most likely reach the ears Of tho
rider Of the pale horse and make him feel that
helpless infants aren't such easy marks after
all. When grown people remark that life
isn't what 10 used 10 be they usually say 10 In q
tone rejecting discredit on the present. But
babies don't feel that way about IL. Life isn't
what it used TO DO to them. praise science. and
neither 10 death. OF late years infant NOR
tally has been reduced about one-half.
Twenty years aao babies were treated as II
they were made literally of the dust Of the
earth and lined with india rubber or tin or zinc
or something of that sort; to-day they are
treated ns delicate little human beings. Then,
when q baby q week or two old had colo the
castor oil bottle was brought out and n dose
big enough to make q strong man Vince was
poured down baby's throat. Fortunately
neither colo nor castor oil was fatal as a rule.
Now. when baby has colo he Ia dieted. and the
best thing Of all In that colo isn't considered
q necessary ~infantile evil any more. but o dis
credit to q mothers common sense.
m " WAS WIN Cohcs bO " Wh1 Wibu III ~
other diseases that attacked babies. A few
so-called standard remedies were administered
in large doses. and II the little invalid died
twas said that Divine Providence. In love and
mercy. had removed the innocent little snow
drop from this wicked world. II It got we'll.
mother and nurse declared complaoently,
There's nothing like castor oil or so and so
for babies." When q baby dies nowadays
scarcely anybody dares say such . thing. ex-
cept q few very orthodox or hopelessly behind
the times folk. Physicians who make o spe-
cialty Of the care Of infants won't permit peo-
ole to comfort themselves that way. To con-
form the regimen OF the nursery to the estab-
lished truths OF modern science has long been
their desideratum. and.they don't allow deaths
which are the result Of ignorance or Careless
meas to be saddled on to the shoulders of an al
ready overburdened Providence.
Thinking mothers. mothers who endeavor
to bring up their children SO that they shall
know how to live in the widest sense. are NO
longer satisfied to trust their sick babies to o
general medical praotitione or. and. indeed.
moro often than not. the beloved family ply
stefan advises that q specialist be called to look
after the small, children. However. It must
Motor q minute be presumed that 1t Is only the
means the case. Proper care. Of Well cSfhiidree11
in %SSD be- cop %i1itom i S So5 X and wa. ,.t.a :,
said
children under 2 years q age. has, been dimin-
shed probably more than o9e-half BY, i'm
RF0Tas Sd % q fssssnin % p ,SsS5pSi; t n S SlgiEissd w 1ifo
can nurse their offspring. To meet this de-
%fciency the subject OF infant feeding has do
manded moro and more attention until at last
It has become practically a specially. The
main, thing required has been q clean milk
cured, from clean surrounding. Kept cool 90
that the bacteria could not multiply in It. and
line has been very marked in recent years. 4
healthy COW In . neighboring pasture is. Of
Gf Sis %hlI sas comes SSss su q NE N Tss 9 Forf ma n p Is E
t tRr5, gsod @fiE e 5or a i 6T% is9ge0 sna S 5sbisa' tho to
Next to fresh milk the modification Of the
milk. so that the portions OF fats. sugars and
mothers milk. Is most Important. In short.
l regard as the most important facyor In our
ss0R HeaT a as possible Ss@ iiNe that E.sn 81 i ts's nat mla1
Next to this I place. antitoxin. though it
applies as well to older children and adults. 1t
ally robbed diphtheria Of its terrors. In con-
nection with this l would mention. as ranking
i hse'i DR. nc joseph 6'bGWR,TSeMr. w" 4nd in I would P Ds en az
most emphatioally that IN the reduction OF in
Eat RAJ the RPef rS4ss 3 shHs fss s : bs1. s Rssn t ~ fE years ara
Iiie. improved infant feeding. a%ntitoxin. and
Improved hygiene In the nursery has grown
step By step with improved feeding. and every
fresh "a ar. Pr9peE exercise. bathing. and cloth
What do YOU mean by proper exercise2"
1T is 2 temptation to leave a quiet baby "
N iRs ihn4sip nSpIi.d on but tss e sSdaI q n 1T f 6e Yielded Pei
to. Taking the child up. carrying it over the
shoulder through fresh-aired rooms or out OF
exercise. and so does q good hard crying spell
in connection with dressing or bathing, 4 1T
tafins f i&sfSn / S oaP v q fas IL e the Gsf66 o IN saT %hs S1
to take them out OF doors. but when very severe
or stormy days come this may not be possible.
a walk in the house, The child should be
warmly and comfortably dressed as for the
Il str Should Hpd Be- NO SiT %n's 4 wa h2T tb SSld fhs sh. ys ssS@s
THE old-fashioned way Of dressing infants
connned their chests and feet. 4 BABY t shoaid
have free breathing room and be allowed 70
content. In a general way bathing should be
adapted as regards the temperature Of the
short bath that leaves the baby with a salts
ffac!oEy reaction: that Is. with warm hands and
"bo. doctors dose babies as they did for
NO" was the reply. and diminished medi-
cation may be ADDED as one more factor that
has really meant that the profession think
What about very poor and ignorant
ea2s 81 tbeI Hi ins,s sfsyy' eoo' improved In the
THE answer to that brings us back to tho
original text. infant feeding. The one thing
that the sick infant REQUIRES y a clean, prop
Mothers Of the very poor often do everything
that, the physician wishes for their babies. In
deed. they are very eager to follow directions |
and will take no end OF trouble to get out In
the park at 4 o'clock 10. the morning In warm
they fail IL In their ability to get proper food
for the infant. Nathan straus has been an
angel OF mercy to the very poor mothers OF
THIS city In supplying them With Dastenrized
milk at actual cost price, With proper feed
Of fresh air for her baby no mother need
longer dread the diseases common to infancy,
cause she has been brought up TO believe that
Q baby has to take SO much medicine"