Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1907-09-05
HEALTH BULLETIN
Subject OF Infant Feeding Is Topic
Discussed by Eminent
Physicians.

The following bulletin is sent out
by DIR. Grasslck of the state Board
of Health for publication in the
state papers giving few timely
pointers on seasonable subject.
''Infant feeding and its relation to
the summer Diarrhoeas. /"
We are right in the middle OF the
season that lis so prolific of those
CASTRO Intestinal diseases that are
commonly known as summer dlar-
rhoeas of infancy. \ few words as
to their causation and prevention
NAV be of interest and, trust, OF
some benefit to the pubI'c. About
one-fourth of all the children born
in the civilized world die before they
reach five years OF age and about one
half of all deaths among infants are
due to diarrhoeal disorders. During
the heated season nearly all articles
of food are subject to rapid fermen-
tative processes unless kept at very
low temperature, The injection OF
food in which there is the slightest
beginning of fermentation is liable
to result in CASTRO intestinal derange-
ment of more or less severity accord
ing to the amount taken and extent
of chances present in the food. Milk,
natures infant food, is peculiarly
sensitive to Preventative changes.
In other words it is an excellent cul-
ture medium for the propagation OF
germ life. When certain bacteria
gain entrance into the milk they
multiply rapidly in hot weather and
elaborate through the life processes
certain highly poisonous substances
called ptomains. When these pro-
ducts of decomposition are found
they are of such nature that no
amount of "docGoring will make the
milk so changed safe article OF
diet. When milk is kept at tenn
perature. of 50 degrees or lower cell
life is inhibited and the poison form
ing bacteria will not develop. All
cases Of diarrhoea, cholera infantum,
and such like disorders may be set
down therefore as simple cases OF
poison. If we.had had..a single case
of strychnine or arsenical poisjng in
the community we would drain our
Treasury If need be to bring the cul-
prit to justice. yet every year we al
low the slaughter of the innocent to
90 on right around US with only a
few spasmodic efforts made to stem
the tide. The children are well
worth saving. Don't lei US poison
them These facts have been known
for years and we have been told and
retold them, but it takes time and a
long educative process to get the peo-
pie to appreciate the significance of
these and other scientific discoveries
and get them applied in everyday
life. But some progress has been
made. During the past fifty years in
fantile mortality has been redaced
fifty per cent and this has mostly
been accomplished along the lines of
sanitation and preventive medicine.
Those who would lbe certain of the
absence Of diarrhoeal poison in milk
in hot weather should see 10 1t that
the. :.milK is.-collected by clean persons
in Clean ,receptacles, from clean,
healthy cows; ten cooled to so de-
grees or lower and kept there until
required and then warmed sufficient
" for use. In the matter of infant
feeding. cleanliness, certainly comes
very close to godliness. When ordin-
ary market milk is.used for feeding
infants it should be sterilized and
then kept on.ice until ready for use.
For those who cannot conveniently
consult a phi ysician the following
details, from the pen Of hygienist
!. Of international reputation, carry the
stamp of authority and may be fol-
lowed with full confidence as to their
efficiency.
"Obtain one-half dozen or more
nursing bottles with suitable wire
holder, kept by druggists. The bot
ties should be placed in kettle Of
soft water, q heaping ..teaspo pooDful Of
! the bicarbonate Of soda dissolved lin
the water Ia order to render 'it fully
alkaline, and then the bottles boiled
forbalf IN hour. After. being allowed
TO cool, the bottles are filed with
milk, the mouths closed with clean
| absosbent cotton and the BOTTLES
placed 10 the wire holder are:set - .