Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-09
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star
ut may be comforting to you to know
that there is nothing unusual here, In
way. You are simply face to face with
very troublesome problem that comes to
the average city mother very early in her
career as SUCH"
The physician glanced again at the baby.
'Al you need to do is to get him into the
open air at once and keep him there the
whole day through
'An need to dor exclaimed the mother
of few weeks. In a helpless sort of way.
why, DOCTOR we live In fiat. three flights
up. as you know. We haven't a porch or
yard in which to roll the carriage. as they
have in a town or the country l am my
own maid and cook. I am also my own
nurse girl We simply can't afford help
just now. How is it ever going to be possi-
BILE for me to look after the house even a
little bit and keep the baby out all day.
too?'
The physician smiled.
you have clearly stated the great prob
lem-I am almost tempted to say, the great
est prOblem-before the city mother. 1t lS
one which her more fortunately situated
sister of town or country knows nothing or.
To be sure, you cannot be out all day with
the baby and give your household work
even lick and a promise Yet the child
must spend practically the whole day In
the open If he is to be strong now and rot
ously healthy in the future. Fresh air and
lots of 1t Is the great health giver and
health sustainer. as you know. Where is
your fire escape?"
Plainly surprised at the seemingly irrele-
want question. she indicated the window.
"Goodr' cried the man of medicine. LII
faces south. But it wouldn't make any dif-
ference whether 1t faced north. east or
west Now, In about minute We'll solve
the problem-for you-by bundling up your
tIarr hfr,,
the fire escape for the rest of the day"
"why, doctor. you-you don't mean it?'
gasped the mother
Don't I. thoughP he queried, unpIo-
fessionally. You just watch mel" He
seized the pale. cooling boy, wrapped him
snugly IN a blanket. clapped cap on the
all but bald head, and. Now, where's the
clothes basket please?
iPut a pillow in it." he called after
the dazed mother; and when she returned
full-handed. into the basket and onto the
fire escape unceremoniously went his
young lordship.
His Lordship Wakes Lusty.
mo harm can come to him there" COM
forted the man of action. "and you can
now go about your household duties happy
in the knowledge that he is living in the
open. every baby should. If you
manage 1t other way. let him continue
to spend his days on the fire escape until
guard. I'll tell you what your reward will
be when you call me up by phone at the
end of a week to let me know how much
he has gained in weight while living
the fire escape
"Six ounces" said the mother. with some
show of pride at the time designated, "and
he lost the week before. you know"
Then came the announcement of the re-
ward the mother might expect If she per-
sisted In following instructions:
you'll not have to call me in again soon
to find out what's the matter with the
child and love of the open that you will
thus instilI In him in his babyhood Will
practically insure him against weak lungs
and the diseases that spring therefrom. his
whole life through"
His Young lordship has now spent almost
year on his fire escape. He is the rud-
dest baby In the whole neighborhod. He
has not had sick day In this time HIS
average gain in weight per week has been
nearly nine ounces. He has the open air
habit bad he bowls when stormy weather
compels him to be kent indoors. the doc
tor has not been called In professionally
since the day he placed the child on his
eyrie perch. Needless to say. the mother
has long since got over her squeamishness
about making her fire escape look IKE one
on a tenement house And she blissfully
gives never thought to the municlpal
ordinance forbidding the blocking or f1re
escapes and the fine named as penalty
AZ ct the mothers who live In flats or
apartments In our cities, and who are not
able to take or send their babies out for
the whole day. religiously place them on
the fire escapes and keep them tnere al
day and the number of ailing babies Will
Immediately show big decrease AZ the
same time splendid advance VIII have
been made in the fight now on to stamp
out tuberculosis by preventive methods
1t Is automatic that a strong-lunged paDy
makes a strong-lunged child. and strong-
lunged child will surely develop into a
strong-lnnged grown-up. So declares Dr
w p Northrup New York authority on
children and their care.
Furnished the idea.
Some mothers who find 1t impossible 10
take their babies out try to get around sho
difficulty by placing them In rooms with
windows open, especially at this time OF
year But. according to DR.. Northrup ana
many other physicians. this Is only beg
cling the problem. A baby so placed Is still
inside IT should be out in the open, where
the supply OF fresh air Is boundlcss, and Its
purity greater than 1t ever can be even In
a generously ventilated room. Therefore. 1t
is now the practice of constantly growing
number of city physicians to order babies
on to fire escapes when Ii Is impossible for
them to spend the day In the open In any
other way These physicians hold that this
is one effective solution OF the more than
busy city mothers problem. of giving her
child the full quota of open air and sum
light.
1t was the immigrant mother who taught
the city practitioner to utilize the fire es-
cape for his small patients daily outing
She places a board or two over the body
hole In the grating, throws an old quilt
or It. and out go her babies, to be out OF
the way and remain In the open all day.
There they flourish despite more or less
sqpaiid tenement house surroundings, be-
cause OF the open-air life they lead. IT
has taken the general practitioner some
time to realize the therapeutic properties of
the fire escape. but now that he has he. Is
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