The true northerner., 1900-07-27
The Incubator.

milk, alcohol, etc, is displayed.
In another room are the exhibits or
the municipal veterinary department,
with fine wax models of diseased meat,
an exhibit which cannot fail to alarm
many people, and which prompted a
visitor to exclaim somewhat appropri-
ately, Almost thou persuadest me to
become a vegetarian" Perhaps also
as a warning TO the frequonterS or
cheap restaurants who have weak
ness for civet de lapin, there are side
by side the skeletons of a rabbit and
a cat. With the exception Of the heads
the likeness between the two suggests
how easy il would be TO substitute the
one for the other. Another depart
ment deals with the vegetable supply
of Paris. and maps show from what
part of the country the various vege-
tables are obtained, with pictures of
the mushrooms that are edible and
those that are poisonous.
Hospital Exhibit.
The next department, though most
serious and technical, is arranged so
that it doess not fail to attract the
general public and serves as a useful
object lesson. 1t deals with the hos
pitals, all of which, with few vXcep-
tions, are under the management of
the municipality. Here is an old
fashioned four-poster bed, such as was
employed at the Hotel Dieu a hun
dred years ago, and in which four
patients had to sleep. These patients
are life-sized lay figures. Three are
in bed, one with his head at the bot
Z tom of the bed and his feet up by
the faces OF the other two p ii nts.
The fourth patient is sitting at the
foot of the bed, so that the visitors
may see the style Of clothes that used
to be provided in the hospitals.
By way OF warming and ventilating
there is a huge earthenware and port
able receptacle that looks like an urn.
Inside of this some sort of smokeess
fuel preumably charcoal, used to be
burned. and IL was brought close to
the bed of the patients. thus helping
still further to poison the atmosphere.
The bed, bed table, chairs, etc, are Of
wood. Immediately opposite is a mod
ern iron hospital bed and aseptic fur
nlture such as are used now in thd
ployed, but only enameled iron or
hardware. The spittoons have a cone
shaped inner pan dipping into water
which contains in solution some anti
septic. There is also a cylinder which
can hold fourteen spittoons. Below by
means of a gas burner w9ter is W rm-
ed. There Is a safety valve on one
side. q thermometer on the other, and
the steam generatd disinfcts the con-
tents. These are now used in nearly
all the hospitals. though but a short
time ago were employed only in cases
of phthisis,
In another corner are samples Of
the wheat. -four, etc, employed at the
municipal bakery where the bread for
sall the hospitals is made. Next TO
this Il a compartment which is fitted
UT more Ike a small drawing room.
This contains exhibits from the arch
ives Of the Public Assistance. a term
which comprises poor relief. hospitals
and asylum. Round this little draw
ing room is all that relates TO the care
of infants and little children. notably
those who are abandoned by their
parents. There are models of hospit-
ais for children, maternity hospitals
and specimen baby incubators The
latter are more useful as historical
records. for they are inferior to the
more modern and improved types.
There is also a glass partition that
can be buslt up round a cot, so as to
isolate the patient from the rest Of
the ward. and yet the patient remains
visible from the ward. BY the side Of
the kits provided for abandoned chill
dren is collection of strange tokens
left with the children so that they
may ultimately be recognized and re-
claimed. Each child must wear up to
the age Of eight years a bead necklace
TO which a small medal is attached
hearing a number. This number cor
responds with the entry made In the
book that records all that is known
about the child Then come tables of
the average number of children ADAM
doned at the Hoscice des Enfants