New-York tribune., 1906-07-30

This remarkable drop from an average OF 2aS
deaths OF babies under year out OF every thou
sand at that age in 1881 20 only 13S out OF every
thousand in 1905. and OF 90 out OF one thousand
under i've years in 1891 90 IS in 1906 proves most
positively that the various educational agencies,
the Health Department and the charitable or
ganizatons are meeting with splendid result,
and that as DR.. La Fetra says. The note should
be one of encouragement" Nor must the good ac-
complished by such movements as The Tribune
Fresh Air Fund be forgotten. Speaking this.
Dr. La Fetra said:
Next TO pure milk fresh air Is the thing most
necessary TO a baby. Untold numbers OF children
are saved from death by the outings given by the
various philanthropic societies; by the recreation
piers. roof Fairgrounds. etc"
But the agency which has most operated for good
has been the milk inspection work OF the Health
Department. II fifteen years ago, in 1891, that
it was taken UP with some degree Of system, and.
as the tables show. the benefits were manifest
from the beginning. About FIVE years ago the
work was extended from mere inspection Of the
milk sold in the city investigation OF the four
hundred creameries from which 10 distributed
TO the wholesale dealers. Up to very recently
Drsnc1 oL Ine WrK % 1 ply Sn0T5 Ie Ssq; upon [e
the Board of Estimate made an appropriation for
more inspectors, and now there are seventeen men,
With this force il is planned to begin systematic
inspection Of the 1900 or more daiTes whose prod
uct eventually reaches the greater city.
hve men, thirty Of whom will be engaged outside
Ln6 city the remaining Atteen here. worthy
Of note that the New York City inspectors have no
legal right TO demand entrance 70 any country
creamery or dairy; only the inspectors employed
by the state authorities may do so, and only they
can prosecute any offender against the sanitary
laws But in practice difficulty is encountered
in handling the situation Farmers as a rule.
only TOO glad TO get the Health Departments 0. X.
on their datrteS. II any should object then
care IS taken that his milk is kept of the city.
The importance OF this work TO the general health
cannot be overeStimated- 1t inSures the handling
OF the milk supply under sanitary conditions at the
Some Of the farms inspected are as far north as
the Canada line, along the banks OF the ST Law
renee River. while others stretch out westward
INTO Steuben County. into Pennsylvania and north
eastward into Connecticut and Massachusetts,
Another great agency for good among the little
ones has been the education OF mothers by the
trained nurses sent out by the Health Department.
These nurses visit the public schools in school time
and afterward go through the poorer tenement
houses. Last year number continued the latter
the Board of Estimate refused to make the
necessary appropriation the work had be discon-
tnued greatly TO the regret OF those cOgniZant OF
its great benefit Ignorance has killed more chill
dren than almost anything else" says DR.. Oar
hngton
Among the poorly educated class OF foreiEn i'm
migrant mothers knowledge OF sanitation ana or
the proper OF their offspring almost enrfreIy
lacking. This Is particularly true OF the italians
Hungarans Bohenlians and Russians au1ong
tality among children is by far the highest The
educational work Of the nurses among mis- 49,
productive OF immense good.
But. despite all drawbacks and disappointr,aD4,
ter chance Of life than did the babies oe eIs q 80 80
few years ago and in the work 10 give tbaT9, 49,
chance no city in the country is more sJ.s,S .ta
than is New York iS advanced