Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-11
American Woman Establishes
School for Mothers in the
Slums of London.
IGNORANCE AND MORTALITY.
Good Results in Checking Death Rate
Among Infants Starts Agitation
For similar Schools.
r.Aolnl corresnondence.


can woman. the Hon. Mrs.
bertrand Russell, formerly Mrs.
- Alys Pearsall Smith of Phila-
6slnbia, is due the establishment of
school in London which. as its bene-
orlent results become more apparent,
&c likely to lead to the establishment
of many similar institutions in the
m,.ronolls and elsewhere IT Is
.scbool for Mothers" and its object
i 10 teach poor mothers how to take
proper care of their babies.
one Of the burning shAnes of Eng
land Is it's nigh infant mortality. The
average death rate Of infants under
cne year old In most American cities
i. about So out of every 900 born.
In England the average is 1876 and
IN some districts of London as many
G. SOS babies out of ever 1000. die
before they reach their first birthday
The chief cause of this terrible waste
of child life IL ignorance. Poverty
alone can be held accountable for only
q small portion of il. Comparatively
few mothers are so poor that they
cannot nourish their infants If they
know how. 1t is ignorance. more
than anything else. which is decimat-
WORST DISTRICT
In no district in London. probably,
Is the infant mortality higher than in
Soyners Town because there both ig-
uorance and poverty abound. Through
D,. sykes medical officer of health
Tor the borough of St. Pancras, of
which somers Town forms a part,
Mrs Russell was made aware of the
terrible slaughter of The innocents
that goes on in that adualid regions
and determined that she would do
something TO check II. Study and in
yestgation convinced her that to
strike a the fountain head of the evil
remedy must be found for the ig-
norance Of the mothers. They should
is taught Sh., decided TO open a
school for them in which competent
instructors should teach them how TO
look after their babies so as to assure
them q fair chance Of developing into
healthy men and women.
STARTED IN SMALL WAY.
She worked hard and organized an
influential committee of which she is
the chairman. Money was collected
and house was taken in Chalton
street The school was placed in
charge of Mrs. Barnes, an experienced
woman superintendent, and invitations
we're sent round to all the tenement
houses in the neighborhood asking
The mothers of young babies to come
to the school and be taught how to
take care of them. Great placards,
explaining the nature Of the school,
were exhibited In front of the build
ing and the school started a year
ago with three pupils. 1t has now
$50.
Chalton street is what is known in
London as a "coster's market" That
ig TO say that Chalton street is lined
from end to end with hucksters sell
ing goods of every description from
tarrows and hand carts, and ~
crowded with poor women who draw
most Of their household supplies from
these barrows II is also well supplied
with public houses. each With It's at
tendant staff of loafers. At first the
School of Mothers afforded huge
amusement to the costers and loalerS
and the wit" which the women who
conducted II had to encounter was not
Ct the most refined character. Today
the school has won the respect ana
gratitude OF the neighborhood. There
Is hardly a coster or a laborer IN the
district who does not know aud apprc-
cate the work II Is doing. Anyone
who attempted to modest any of the
women connected with the school 10
day would meet with u very rough le-
ception In Chalton street
NIGHTLY CLASSES.
The school began with nightly classes
for the mothers, who Were inViteu 70
attend and bring their babies. DR. Dora
Bunting talked To the mothers on lhS
Importance OF natural feeding anu
Al to. NH.N M
drop Of gin or tea and little OF every
thing they ate themselves meant GER
tain death 20 the babies. Then she un
dressed the babies and explained 10 the
mOthors the evils OF tight binding ana
the Importance of keeping baby warm;
II II had any little ailment she hdVlseu
The mother what 10 do, and II necessary
sent her to a hospital on .inllrmarS' III
Nc meantime Mrs Barnes che super
lhtendent, visited the mothers az thelT
homes ana pressed home the lessons
taught by the woman doctor
FIRST DIFFICULTY,
A difficulty soon presented Itself. The
nrsi principle taught by the school Was
me Importance OF natural feeding iur
allhcial feeding Is frightfully pIeNa
ieht among the poor mothers or ENG
iand, Many of them In fact, think II y
N'Nrl llhn natural feedlngi hhH "u'f
ssuopl II because they prefer, even When
marsh necessity does not compel thch
70 work i'm the factories
Inc Hon, Mrs Bertrand Russell Dr
Bunting and Mrs. barnes soon FOUND
tlal " the mothers OF Somers Town
We're To- feed THEN infants they must be
iea themselves, II there n one tmnp
mar the lower class l1nglshwoman II
eafeless about, II Is her own food. Sh'
,'all2es the Importance of feeding hel
husband, for he has 10 do heavy work
nll for herself she Is usually conten
WIN tea and bread and perhaps a sal
nolllng now and again. In fact, II i
no' unusual for the man to buy hi
own meat hand II TO his wife Ia cook
shQ eat II while his wife and chlldrel
'ook ON, perhaps falnlshod,
me Importance Of feeding tho mothe
Nes emphasized I'm the lectures. bu
Mlklng had little effect. As matte
iacl. many OF the mothers could no
nalord 90 feed themselves, 80 the schoe
uetermned 10 feed them. Now sub
santlal dinner Is provided every da
NJ pc pupils OF the school atn eharg