Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-21
THE INCUBATOR BABIES.
Their Corner in Mechanics Building a
Favorite Rendezvous.

The infant incubators which are one
of the distinctive and supremacy in
teresting features of the big Fair at
the Merchants and Manufacturers As
ISOLATION in Mechanics Building. Bos-
ton, are certainly deserving Of uni
VerSal attention. Science has provided
\ means whereby the tiniest babies
the frailest mites of humanity, may
grow strong and live like other more
fortunate babies who have more natu-
raj surroundings, and this means is the
incubator. 1t is an artificial mother. a
wonderful bit OF mechanism invented
by the man who has charge of the
station at the Exposition, who first in
stalled it at the the Pan-American E!x-
position, and who later will have a
building devoted entirely to il NJ the
Worlds Fair in st. Louis.
Put after all no description of these
infant life-saveIs and life preservers
can do them justice. They must be
seen to be appreciated, and now that all
New England is seeing the incubators;
ut Mechanics Building, with their
precious family of babies, weighing
anywhere from a pound ana half to
three pounds, and scarcely big enough
to fill Il pint measure, the institution
VIII receive the attention it deserves.
The jncubators themselves are to the
average lay mind nothing other than a
gas oven appara tus, provided with a
h"Ner-NarNlng temperature by means of
Il burner and Il thermostat fed With
fresh air from outside the building
carefully 3terilized. strained OF dust
and warmed to tho inside temperature
by passing over Water-coilS, and fitted
III every way to reproduce as nearly as
may be natural conditions. And here
Notwithstanding the fact that most Of
Tie babies of this sort heretofore have
been lost. something like eighty-five in
every fuIdre:l may HOW be saved to be-
come normal mcn and women in due
time TIL re are now five babies in the
Incubator Institute at Mechanics
RuIldlng, three Of whom are such wee
bits Of humanity that it almost re-
QuireS microscope TO see them. The
other two are incubator graduates.
pretty, chubby, dimpled little babies,
VINO, having gone through the entire
course OF treatment i'll the incubator
ovens, now spend their time in the
nursery. But the other three interest
the casual observer the most, for the
treatment they receive differs very ma
terially from that accorded infants in
general
Wee bits of huma nity these babies
are. SO much they look alike that mere
man might think them tripIets AS a
matter of fact they DO include twins.
but the third is no relation to the other
Two except in that adventurous spirit
which led it too soon to tempt the
world.
In this it leads the twins by two
weeks at least. Less than three pounds
each Of these youngsters weighed ut
first entrance into the world: but they
have found the wcrld kind. and are
putting on weight as if that were their
only business in life. Indeed, they
have no other just at present. Once in
two hours by day, and once in three
hours by night. each baby comes forth
from his gas oven and is fed in the
good old-fashiol ed way. Even in this
process Mother Nature is scientifically
aided Before the baby is fed it is
weighed. After it is fed it is weighed
! gum LIE I'll It's
is made a simple sum in subtraction.
Weighed and fed, and weighed, the
baby goes back into its rest, tiny
bundle which, with it's bow of ribbon,
its disproportionate head, and its
Woodeny arms looks like nothing so
much as a big japanese doll Only
when it refuses to behave normally
and sleep away the next two hours IS
the illusion broken. But il it cries
the natural inference that something IS
the matter is drawn and the mite comes
put of the incubator and is given es-
pecial attention. That the process
makes healthy babies the two gradti-
ltes of the incubators on hama are
and conclusive proof. 80
wonder that this corner Of the Pig
show is bound to be favorite Win
the mothers of Boston and ne" Ehs
and.