The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-11-01
TO SAVE THE BABIES,
Conference 10 Be Held to Con-
slider Ways and Means.


Apropos Of the appalling mortality
among the babies not only in our owl
land, but throughout the civilized
world. no single factor can be pointed
out as the primary cause Of this blcl
on our modern civilization The prob
lem and the possibility of its preven
tion are to be considered at special
conference arranged by the American
Academy Of Medicine, to be held al
New Haven, Conn, Nov. IL and 12
What are regarded as contributory
causes can be gathered from some of
the subjects mentioned in the an
nouncement for the meeting. Four ave-
nues for the introduction OF preventive
measures are indicated by the titles Of
the sessions medical, philanthropic.
institutional and educational Practi-
cally all causes suggested under these
headings are summarized In the four
mentioned In the section ON medical
prevention congenltal debility. insult
able nourishment. improper care and
communicable or infectious diseases.
When it is recalled that the men who
are In the thick Of the fight against
the needless and unnecessary waste Of
baby life assert that the present iii
fant death rate could be cut in half
By the enactment and rigid enforce
ment of laws requiring the adequate
inspection of the sources of tile milk
supply, coupled with the sanitary In
spection of tenements, the accurate reg
istration Of births and the instruction
OF the mothers by visiting nurses or
other properly accredited representa-
ttves Of the local boards of health il
Is readily seen that two very grave
sources OF danger are to be found in
the quality of the nonrishment fed to
babies and the conditions Of the homes
themselves. Serious as the problem Of
pure milk supply is. 1t is much less
difficult Of solution than the more com
Dlicated one Of housing conditions.
overcrowding a Prime Cause.
One hundred years ago three and
per cent Of the population
IF the United States lived in the cities.
Today thirty-three and one-third per
cent Of our S5000,00O people are
'rowded into the cities Oyercrowd-
ng. the congestion Of population in
lum districts, the herding together OF
he great unassimilated mass of immi-
rants In inadequate and insanllary
quarters. the selfishness Of property
wners, the apathy Of municipal gov
in dealing with situations
Which require drastic measures, all
to make this one OF the
most complex as well as one of the
1ost disheartening factors In the big
roblem Of the prevention of infant
lortality. According to a recent re-
ort, there are 100000 absolutely dark
edrooms In the city Of New York
lone, where humankind. old as well
young, are supposed to live and
love and have their being.
That congestion Of population with
given area would not necessarily 4
ean the absence or hygienic condl-
ons was pointed ont recently in
iper by DR. Stowel Of New York.
sitting physician to the New York
lty Children's hospital and schools.
> instances of congestion under ia.
'rable and under unfavorabIe condi
ons he contrasted the largest apart
ent hotel in New York-the Ansonla
which houses 1.262 persons to the
re. with the notorious Chrystie
rect tenement block. In which
go persons are housed in a single
re. The hotel covers total area OF |
acres OF ground, and houses 1000 /
rsons In 1900 rooms. As there are
iteen inhabitable floors, the total \
ca amounts to about twenty-six =
res, and all of the rooms are open "a
the outside. admitting the sovereign
aventives Of disease. light and air. l
the seven years since the place
IS opened not one Of the 400 EN- 1
wees has become a victim Of tu-
'culosis. The tenement block. on the
Ter hand. has been verltable breed 1
! ground for that disease
Garden cities' Established.
s 4 means Of decreasing the over /
Ginning mortality In congested In. !
trial centers the garden city
! that at Bonneville. near Birming-
4. England. is being established III
le parts of Great Britain and III our I
} country. The removal Of the
lufacturIag plant which employs
: large numbers Of individuals to
c suburban district and the erec-
Of cottages with gardens attach
Tor the workers and their families.
establishment II schools and other
ures Of city life aud the develop
it Of the property along community -
5 with the agreement that all inter-
over . per cent on the investment
! be devoted to public improve
Is are features Of this plan.
,vious difficulties make the applica-
Of the plan OH general scale i'm
tlcable, and the improved tene-
t offers more feasible solution Of
problem for the majority OF cities.
registration 81 slum property ~ - -
'cated by some English investiga- tn
as a means OF wedding out the ~
of~n HI.