The Washington herald., 1908-06-23

over 100000 bottles every nine months, and
Baltimore, over l.O00 bottle daily
The plan inaugurated in various cities
TO educate the mothers Of small babies is
comprehensive and in most Instances is
already having telling results. In Wash
ington as soon as a birth is reported the
District board OF health sends to the
mother simply-worded pamphlet telling
how an infant should be cared for and
onering simple rules that any one can
follow. Rochester keeps n card for each
baby, and nurses encourage the mothers
to refer 10 this card. In Chicago. where
from one-ffth 20 one-third OF all babies
die before reaching the second year OF
their life, tho board OF health has for the
past twelve years distributed pamphlets
on Infant Feeding" printed in English,
Bohemian. German, Yiddish, Italian, Pol
ish, and Swedish languages. So good
wero these Chicago pamphlets that tho
indianapolis board Of health bought q
great number for free distribution. One
admonition that must go with nll direc-
lions sent 20 the slums Is that mothers
must not feed solid food to their babies, a
general practice among the ignorant.
Philadelphia health authorities issue
circulars directing the care. diet, and
clothing Of babies In the summer, and pri-
vate philanthropies distribute free ice 20
sick babies. A plan favored by many
cities is that Of gathering every week into
a convenient church, settlement house. or
school building about twenty-five mothers
end have volunteer nurses and physicians
lecture to them on tho proper feeding and
dressing OF their babies 10 Is suggested
that the babies DO brought 70 these con-
ferences and be weighed each week 20 see
X each has gained its regulation four
ounces, while practical Demonstration In
the steriiizing and modifying Of milk
Will be given.
The world has been watching with in
terest the work done at Client. Belgium.
This is great factory town where there
are no trained nurses and no hospitals for
children and where the majority of the
women and girls are factory workers. A
society Of socialists found seven years
ago that the death rate among infants
was S53 20 the 1900. They opened milk
depots, where modified milk was had at
cost or given free; where mothers could
come and bring their babies for free treat
ment, where young girls were trained as
nurses, and regular Illustrated lectures on
chld-care were given throughout the
year The best mothers are now delegat-
ed as visiting mothers" 70 those who are
ignorant in the care Of children. and the
death rate has gone down TO per cent.
after having been reduced TO q per cent
In the first year. over 400 babies have
been raised entirely by this club
In oldcn times II was believed that the
death Of many infants was inevitable.
Modern science denies this most emphau-
cally. and the shibboleth Of the times IS
save the babies" This is 70 be done
chiefly through tho food. tuberculosis.
intenstinal troubles, and typhoid are
spread 20 their millions through the milk
given babies. When u IS recalled that
the laws of Denmark protect hogs and
milk-fed cattle from tuberculosis by re-
curing that the milk be sterilized. it
seems to be blow az out national intelli-
gence that we have 50 long delayed doing
this for the babies of the land
Copyright. 1905. b. Frederic J. Haskin