The Washington times., 1904-08-21
GREAT MORTALITY
AMONG INF ANTS
Increase This Year Over
Other Periods.
CAUSES ARE NOT APPARENT
Cloudy Weather Thought to Be a Fac
tor-MOther's Ignorance in Car
ing for Baby.
CAUSES ARE NOT APPARENT

Ing 4OA odDy-
Why have more infants died in Wash
ington of intestinal troubles this sum
mer than last summer. Is the question
that Is now puzzling leading physicians
and workers among the poor.
The milk supply was at first turned 10
as a solution Of the matter. but il was
given up as not being the true cause.
The dairymen and farmers comply with
more rigorous provisions for the pres
ervation and sanitation of milk now
than ever before. The Health Depart
ment's laws are good and well enforced,
say all Coguizant of the subject
Ignorance of how to care for in
fants.' is the cause generally ascribed.
Taking into consideration the fact that
more negro infants die Of intestinal
troubles, this cause seems to be well
grounded
In Spite of Charity.
A glance at the figures Of the Health
Department records shows that the pug
zling increase Is an actually in spite
of the charitable distribution of ice, the
work of the Associated Charities. the
endeavors Of the Districts visiting
nurses, and the aims of private individ-
uals.
July and August are the months most
productive of widespread death among
the infants. For the week ended July
the report shows that intestinal
troubles caused the deaths Of thirty
three children, Of which thirteen white
and thirteen negro infants were all un-
der the age OF one year. The total Of
the corresponding period Of last year
was thirty.
A comparison of the records for the
next week Of the two years shows an
increase this year of two. OF the TWEEN
4 81 inc
period, there were seven white infants
and sixteen negroes under one yea Of
age. Three negroes and two whites
were less than two years Old Last
July, In the week ended on the 18th.
thirty-five deaths occurred from in
festival causes, while during the CORE
spending week of last year there were
only twenty-five deaths
Increase This Year.
OF the thirty-fve of this year. TWEEN
ty-six, nine whites and seventeen
negroes, were less than a year old. A
comparison of the next week of the two
years shows an increase Of four deaths
this year. The next gives the same
total. seventeen
In every case the percentage Of negro
deaths was much larger than that Of
the whites. one interesting fact is that
during the week ended July 3. when
the total Of forty deaths from intes-
tlnaI troubles among children was the
largest of either this or last summer.
there Were only two clear days, the
other i've being cloudy or rainy. During
this week nearly the highest tempera-
ture OF tire summer was registered. the
mercury rising to o.. according TO the
Weather Bureau reports
In the week ended July . when thirty
three such deaths occurred the mercury
went 20 "a. and there was not a single
Gear cay out or the entire seven.
Weather a Factor.
In speaking OF this yesterday a we'll
known physician said:
Probably one cause of the infants
deaths IS to be found in the continuous
rains The young human being. battling
for life during the first months Of its
existence, needs the air, the sunshine.
and all the outdoor life possible. Rains
prohibit this. In fact, the coming Of a
rain is the signal for the child TO be
bundled up and slowed away in a closed
room. This IS not conducive 10 a Wig
orous start on the road 10 health and
infants"
In another quarter It was suggested
that the mothers knew too little Of
how 70 take care Of their babies
They don't know how TO feed them"
said another physician. Their one idea
IS 70 give the babies a certain food at
a certain time. When the infants begin
70 cry and show signs OF restlessness
and pain, what do the mothers do?
Why. they feed them some more. The
general IDEA seems 70 be that food IS
the panacea for all evils.
A Question Of Food.
"As a matter Of fact. this is often
quite 70 the contrary. a young baby
in hot weather cannot assimilate inded-
mite quantities Of any kind OF food and
when the point Of nOn-assimilation is
reached. the more food the infant gets
the more harm does he suffer. Many a
child, ! think. IS fed 20 death instead
Of many being starved 90 death
THE heat, too. is a great factor IN
undermining tho delicate constitution Of
a child Look for instance al the sta
tistics showing that during the summer
months many more negroes than whites
die. This IS partially explained by the
fact that the negroes are more cyDosad
TO the heat than the whites. There are
hundreds OF cases where the negro
mother has 20 be away from home All
day, leaving her infant In the care Of
an Older child, an being shut up IN a
Air and Sunshine.
The remedy for these conditions &c
70 give the mothers more oDportunitias
for fresh air and more Information con
corning the care OF infants As ono
speaker suggested yesterday. IL e. ono
Of the most important problems win
which modern charity workers have fo
ETappie, the salvation OF the mother and
her infant IL win require tirelcss work
and much monev before 90 IS properly
solved
II cannot be done by iudiscriminate
effort. but must De effected by sysf,r-4
tic labor which system f. now gradual
" becoming more and more universal
II ls iact. however. strange and hard
II may seem, that the woman who he
comes Cd mother iu the months OF June
July, and August stands double chance
10 lose her child. This is especially trre
among the negroes and the poorer class
Is Of the white
The remedy according TO many DGvsi-
clans, is ln systematic. unfaiIing char
lty work, the development of a system
for imparting the needed infOrTaatio ION.
and for giving the mothers and their
infants opportunities % get into the
fresh air. the air that really IS fresh