New-York tribune., 1907-08-15
MANY INFANTS DYING.
Heat and Lack of Pure I'lk GlUen
as Cause Of Increase.

A great increase of mortality among infants in
the last few weeks is shown in the reports OF the
Health Department. This increase is on the East
Side and in the other cOngested tenement house
districts the city.
While this is to a large extent due to the heat,
there are other causes. explained yesterday
at the offices of Dr. Darlington the Health Com
missioner The last report for the week ended
August 3. when there were 5iS deaths of children
under five years of age from diarrhoeal diseases as
compared with Si2 hast year for the same period
The unofficial report for last week showed 4S6
deaths, as compared with 267 last year
The increase. the face OF 1t, is large 1t runs
through the summer, beginning with the week
CEded July 20 In fact, the record shows that this
summer has been more fatal to children than any
other for years, and the officials of the Health
Department say that. whi!e there are other causes
the extreme and continued heat is mainly RESPONSE
HE. Those interested in furnishing pure milk to
the mothers Of the East Side insist that IL is the
failure of the city demand that the supply Of
this necessary of lie shall be pure This is de-
Lied by the city officials
One of the main arguments of the men in charge
of the crusade for pure milk last winter and early
in the spring was that failure 10 pasteuTize the
milk supply coming into this city would result in
Increased mortality among children this summer.
'rhe increased mortality las become fact, but
those who responsible f7r the defeat Of Al
German Jacohson's proposed ordinance say that
the heat IS responsible.
that the remedy lay entirely in siucation. There
sixty physicians in the summer corps who are
daily among tenements instructing the mothers
how TO care the food they receive. how 10 care
for their children. and in general how, 10 preserve
the health of the household in the heated term
addition there thirtyeight trained nurses do
ing the work. The cOnsested sections are
divided into districts and the work is so systema-
tized that It a- 30 most effective with the number
at the dsDo--. Health Department.
i--s Of he
that the hc@|,- the chi.dren of the East Side.
using IL as an example. entirely dependent
upon the care of the mothers. She said that in
her experience milk had nothing to do with the
matter.
..Nine-tenths Of the families" she said do not
drink milk They IT TO some extent. but the
children do not drink IT, When It does get into
the chidrens food It is so diluted that II cannot
do harm. Milk beverage for children is a
luxury. The infants sometimes get IL. but in the
main the mothers milk among the poor is the in
fants nourishment. OF course, there is no intelli
gent care of food among the poor until tell
them the Importance of 1T
The milk they do get is often left uncovered.
and nearly always without fee. And how they
get ice? They have not the money to pay for it.
Is great a luxury them Ice cream
fine fruits. We trying to educate them to
make the best of the materials at hand And
the main thing have to teach them is to pre-
their children eating overripe fruits under
cooked foods OF all kinds. and to remember that
plain we'll cooked vegetables and meats better
than seemingly nne fare"
The Health Department expect. better results
most stringent food laws that may be enacted and