The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-07-17
BABIES SAVED BY CLEAN MILK
Death Rate in summer Among Child
rem Under s Greatly Reduced.

Death Rate in summer Among Child
rem Under Greatly Reduced.
a decrease Of more than 80 per cent.
in deaths among infants in the months
Of July and August has been brought
about in the city Of Rochester as a re-
suit Of Health Officer George W. Go
ler's plan for providing pure milk for
babies. This has been done at a cost
Of little more than 81 900 a year, and
DR.. Goler says that what Rochester
has done can be done by any city at a
proportionate cost.
Until the city established summer
milk stations the infantile mortality
in Rochester constituted more than
one-third of the total number of
deaths, but it has now been greatly
reduced. In the nine years from 1888
to 1896 there were 6,629 deaths Of
children under years of age. For
the nine year period from 1897 to 1905,
during which the milk stations have
been in operation, there we're only
4,403 deaths, Notwithstanding that
the city's population has increased by
/ $4,000.
Rochester was not exceptional in its
high infantile mortality. The statis-
tics show that in the cities of large
population, and in those Of small pop
ulation, the number of deaths among
young children were just as numerous
and in some places even larger than
there.
| 1t is not pretended that the results
accomplished are due solely to the inn
proved quality Of the milk that is fed
to the babies. Improvement in the
practice of medicine has perhaps had
much to do with it, but it is believed
that the milk has been the principal
factor.
Pure milk, according to DR.. Goler
and the Rochester health bureau, does
not mean pasteurized or sterilized
milk. 1t means, first of all, clean
milk, and to secure this it is necessary
to see that the cows, the stables, the
mixers, the utensils and everything
that the milk encounters from the
time it leaves the COW to the time it
reaches the consumer are absolutely
clean and sanitary. If this is done,
DIR. Goler contends, pasteurization is
unnecessary.
The bureau has also established
what is called the Rochester milk
commission, which is composed Of
three members of the Rochester Acad-
envy of Science and the city health
officer, ex-officio. Up to the present
time it has certified but one yender-
producer whose milk meets all the re-
Quirements.
He sells milk at nine cents quart.
The conditions of his premises is told
in brief by the record of los consecu-
tive bacterial counts of this certified
milk which yielded an average of less
than 1000 bacteria to the cubic cent?
metre.
Instructions for the care of infants
were also given, as follows: How to
Take Care of Babies During the Hot
Weather" Across its face in large
red letters was printed "Giye the
Baby Water" In type large and dis
tinct were these two sentences
No other milk, no other food, not
even wet-nurse, can take the place
of milk from the Guilds own mother. .
Don't feed bananas, candy, pop
corn, sugar or anything else but milk,
unless told to do SO by your physician. .
The headings of the pamphlet were
l. Give it pure air day and night.
@ Give it no food but mothers
milk, milk from the bottle, or food
directed by the physician.
! 3. Whenever it cries or is fretful do
not offer it food; give it water.
4. Be sure it gets enough sleep two
maps during the day at least.
5. DO not put too much clothing on
it.
g. Battle it in tub every day.
7. Don't han dle it; leave it alone.
These headings were briefly dis
cussed in the body Of the pamphlet, a
copy of which was given to each
mother who called at the station. N.
Y. Sun.