New-York tribune., 1902-08-02
TENEMENT HOUSE INFANTS
THEIR ANNUAL SUMNER STRUGGLE
AND THEIR HAVEN, THE
BABIES HOSPITAL.

This is story of hot weather and milk. Hot
weather and milk taken together, very hard
on babies All those thin, large eyed, little Great
at the dispensary Of the Babies HospltaA
thought yesterday Their great eyes, staring
out of their white haggard, little faces. seemed to
inquire mutely why they were obliged to pass any
.hing so disagreeable as their second summer in a
world of tenement houses and so degrees in the
shade, five cent milk and no ice chest Some OF the
babies made these inquiries audibly The room
full of little, moaning. fnaruculate sounds as
one baby after another plaintively gave tongue TO
fits feelings in this regard. But there who
never ceased. Every instant his voice rose in a
despairing shrek His wall steady, persistent
maddening: and without rest or pause his poor
mother walked the floor with him. Her eye was
glazed and suffering. Her limbs trembled beneath
her; her face had the look Of a hunted creature
yet still she paced, and at times stopped the wall
ing mouth with kisses. II o'clock In the
afternoon. and since Ii the night before the baby
had maintained that cry, Not instant's sleep.
not a moments for any in the tenement
house fat For two weeks the crying had been
nearly continuous The father unable to go to
work on account Of sleepess nights The mother s
nerves were 10 frazzles.
Dr. Ellen Lowell. the imperturbabIe young dis
pensary assistant. outwar6ly undisturbed. but
inwardly pitifui She asked the mother If she were
willing let the baby be taken TO Oceanic, where,
amid the cool breezes and trained attendance Of the
city's hospital for its sick babies perhaps
somebody could discover and remedy for
that ceaseiess crying The poor mother consented
gladly. and carried away the little bundle of per-
soniied wall. Silence fell like benediction on the
room, for all the other babies had grown still in
sheer astonishment at this ones persistence In
deed. little coored twoyear-old. with sore face.
after listening TO the cries for time had gravey
offered the sick baby his own little box Of oint-
rnent which he held in his hands
WEIGHING THE BABY
The inquiries and the prescribing and the weigh
ing went on for all the little babies were undressed
and laid In the tin pan of pair OF grocer's scales
like a sack of sugar a pound OF cheese, and
weighed, and then the weight marked down for
future reference. II next week a baby is found to
have gained they know he is better, even though
his tired mother does not think so.
With the older children r1alnutrition, or lack OF
vitality seemed to be z Of trouble. There
was one little fellow who would eat nothing; his
mother said he didn't eat enough TO keep bird
alive He would never play with the other chill
dren: and Il took him fifteen minutes to climb the
stairs. Then there were TWO little girls. with
delicacy and refinement Of contour that spoke OF
blood somewhere along the line. And they would
not eat. either. The mother said in a discouraged
way that they would not drink milk at all, and
that boiled milk especially, anathema to them
They would not eat meat or vegetables. touch
single egg. Eggs beaten up raw they scorned'
when enriched with sugar and disguised with
milk In fact they would take nothing but
a few nouthfus Of soup and then, in a casual
themselves IN ice water, lemonade and other re-
freshing drinks of summer time. The children were
thin and pale, and constantly losing weight
THE TENEMENT HOUSE PENNY
II is in cases like these that the Tenement House
Penny plays part. There are al grades ana oe-
grees of worldly prosperity among tenement dwell
Among those in prosperous circumstances
with good salaries the giving Of pennies TO chill
dren assumes large proportions. Many street
stand little store is supported enurely py the
pennies Of children. This particular nother ao-
mitted that while she herself had stopped giving
pennies to the children because they bought
truck" with them still they had many given them
by others with which to purchase surreputious
sweets In consequence what little sppeu'e thes
had was destroyed between meals
Renewed vigilance was urged. strict prohipitlon
TO the Youngsters as TO the consumption OF street
dainties a menu recommended which the children
were TO eat have nothing tonics ano sea uips
prescribed and free tickets for the last given
By far the greater number OF all the patients
were the ha b,es OF two years and under. and with
them ii was always the same story-1nliK. hot
weather summer complaint. OF which. IL the rem
edy De not speedily supplied. the last chapter is
death.
But at the Babies Hospital they have reduced
the feeding of the baby science, as proved oy
the paper of Dr. Charles Gilmore kerley peiore the
American Pediatrtc Society at Buffalo last sum-
nier. when he reported on 4S cases Oh SUMMER
complaint only per cent Of which were los'-
ICE ARRESTS THE GERMS
ice all the way along" said Dr. N Curuce hoil
who was in charge Of the dispensafy SesteiuaS
from the time the leaves the COW tiii II IL
warmed for the baby's bottle, is the ohiy saie's
The germs will develop in bottled nniK INA. ~
kept en- ice. ano IL IL In clean milk IN the hrs'
place il is safer than milk In which ene ger f
have once been allowed develop. even IL stern
tied two or three times afterward There is GER
tain milk in the city which has never Deer
treated in any way. which papies thi"e pe
bee
The physicssne the Babies hospiIai stin ss. si.'
babies fed on Certified milk" whenever possDIe
Certified" milk lis milk which has been examined
BY com=ntttee of experts from the Soun.y
Society and pronounced by them 10 hase NJ .h
number Of bacteria the cubic cenLmelre tiaaL
is compatible with infant health Inis ser.rie. @
milk o what the well child should De lea opyli
The reaso,a why many babies are cauR' 44n befor m
grip OF the Destroyer In early Juiis, pshoi
the hot weather really comes. is because .hsy .
been Ill nourfshed all the year; BY nhea @ @,iants J.
complaint actually appears ths LII LII Kin iyame
this dspensary whisked on their n',in nm
cateiy and put diet Of rice or s ns'es na aIIim