The sun., 1904-08-29
BABIES ILLTREATED AT FAIR.
GRAVE CHARGES AGAINST THE
ST.. LOUIS INCUBATOR SNOW.


Dr. Hartuns OF Brooklyn Reports DIS.
graceful Conditions and Many Deaths
Some Exhibits Not Prematurely
Born-Oncials Slow to InvestiEate.
Or. Emil F. Hartung. Coroner's physi-
clan in Brooklyn, Is back from the st. Louis
fair with big indignant kick. He charges
that the -incubated baby" show on the
rike Is in disgraceful condition, and that
the treatment the babies receive there,
many of whom are full-term babies and no
rrcmaturely born at all. is little short OF
murder.
Dr. Hartung was considerably interested
in the baby incubator show when 1t was
first brought to Coney Island two years
ago. At the time he made an official visit
of inspection and stu died the appliances
for saving the lives OF prematurely born
labies. So when he hit the Pike at st.
Louis he made for the incubator show at
once. This is what he had to say about 1t
Yesterday
Il made my first visit on Aug. 1. The
first thing that caught my attention was
four full-term babies, not premature births
at all. One Of them was nursing from a
bottle containing curdled milk. One OF
them was suffering from cyanosis, a dis
ease OF the heart common in young babies,
and in which the patient turns blue. 1t
had four attacks in half an hour, and
no one paid the slightest attention to it.
These full-term babies were in tenn
perature of 1O5 degrees. You know what
l05 degrees of heat means. Think OF that
for normally born baby. There were at
least three cases of marasmus, or con-
sumption of the bowels. No attention
was being paid to them. 1t was horrid
sight.
Il called on l. H. Laidley, medical direc-
tor of the fair, and asked him IL there had
been any deaths in the baby show. He
said none that he knew Of. His assistant,
DR.. Moore said that there had been two or
three. Pursuing the investigation further,
ran across Dr. j. B. Hardy, who had been
attending physician at the SHOW. DR..
Hardy said that he knew Of fourteen deaths.
He resigned early in the game because the
Snowman in charge wouldn't take his ad-
vice. and he felt that his reputation would
not stand 1t.
Il went back again. I found that the
boxes were ventilated improperly-in such
manner that the degree Of heat could
not be regulated, and regular temperature
is n utCtSolCy Ill - Dupy ihSd|oOSis Ah eAO
back yard was a ladder placed on four
boxes full of garbage. On the ladder were
some pillows and on the pillows were four
babies, lying uncovered in the hot SUM- l
watched them for half an hour They
got no attention.
There were no appliances for taking
care of the children scientifically even
pair Of scales DR.. Hardy told me that
oh;lIrop thou hoA Onlv
wet nurse. For the rest, they were fed
on a patent baby food. which the barker
at the door was loudly advertising. Any
physician knows that, whatever may be
said Of infant foods for normal babies,
mothers milk is the only food to bring =
premature baby through
There was an iron basin in the nursery,
and on that they would let six and seven
month babies sit propped up for the visitors
10 look at-a splendid way to develop cur
vature Of the spine. The babies were all
in an awful condition. Owing to the de-
iectve ventilation, danger of asphyxia was
constant.
Well, the fair people kept passing me
up went to Laidley, and he investigated.
He admitted that 1t was disgusting and
that the place ought to be closed. He
asked for complaint in writing. was
passed on up to q Mr. Gregg, one Of the
directors. He, too,s was Mortified. but
he passed me to Director Smith. In the
presence OF Smith and of X. p. Wilfay,
an attorney, I accused the men operating
that incubator show Of murder. l said
that il such conditions existed in Brooklyn.
Iwould do my best to have the place closed,
10 arrest every man in it and to have them
indicted. Smith promised to do some
thing, but when visited the show on the
18th, things were just as they had been
at first, except that the garbage pals and
ladder had been taken away.
In st. Louis met a physician who had
been connected with the Coney Island in
cubators After got back, he wired me
that there have been twenty deaths alto
gether this summer. The capacity of the
ST. Louis incubators is sixteen or seventeen
babies
"On the way back met Daniel c. Nugent.
director 'of the fair, and member OF the
committee OF ways and means. told him
about the state Of affairs and the trouble
had getting any action taken Nugent
wired to President Francis of the fair and
got this reply:
Incubator matter will be personally
Investigated and remedied at once
An angel farm on the Pike call it.
The showmen up and down the Pike call it
the morgue. I left the place absolutely
sick at heart
The management OF the two incubator
shows at Coney say that in the early years
Of their enterprise the mortality was l5
per cent Last year. th ey say. they lost
only three babies out OF ffty-six treated,
and this year only two out OF forty-two.
HERMAN VEETZLER GIVES 1T UP.
Going to Europe 70 Make Reputatio %