Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-11-16
MANY CAUSES OF
infant MORALITY
ADDRESS DELIVER
ED BEFORE WoMAN's CLUB
IN INDIANA.
Public Drinking Cups a Source Of
Spreading Disease - Mother Must
Not Lose Confidence of Child.

lutyFe before Il "OludH CluU dI Nluo-
ma Lake, Ind, contains points that are
of general interest.
We have heard much during the past
on health and efficiency, but l wish to
speak today to the mothers. "She
who rocks the cradle. rules the world"
In looking through the annals of his
tory we find that most Of our great
men have great mothers. In the first
place believe that every child has
a right to be we'll born. Prof. G..
Stanley Hall, says that IAN ounce Of
heredity is worth pound OF educa-
ton. But how is the child to inner
it sound mind in a sound body I'M
less the parents will learn and obey
the laws of nature?
7 Are the women of today prepared
for motherhood? ! believe you will
agree with me that they are not. The
public health movements which are
agitating the country at this time are
doing much to enlighten the people
regarding the laws of health but there
is still much left to be done. Too Of
ten we find young boy growing up
totally ignorant of the laws which
govern his body. The young girl
grows up in ignorance, and these two
know nothings" get married, and
what can one expect but another gen.
GRAFTON of weak and ignorant people.
One of the great causes of i'll health
among women is incorrect dressing
7 1rIcoynr1ro f0 n61
absurd system of dress reform. but
do wish women would not be such
slaves to fashion. Scientists tell us
that the pressure of a loose corset
on the vital organs Is twenty pounds.
Do these figures mean anything to
you? Every organ in your body must
first of all have room in which to do
it's work, and II 1t does not have
room all the medicine in the world
that organ the power to perform its
function naturally. l believe that one
of the best operations that can be
performed is on the corset string.
have had women tell me they wore
corsets because men always admire
the woman with the small waist.
If that is the case it is time women
began to educate their boys that a
good strong waist means strong vital
1S-inch waist will never be help
meet to her husband. Others will say.
"Oh, can't sit up without a corset
Then it is time you were getting some
backbone instead of wishbone. Be-
gin to exercise the muscles of the
back so that they will do the work
God intended that they should. A
corset is only crutch, and crutc\
is only needed by cripple. A wo-
tai organs can never expect to be a
strong mother and to have strong
children.
Then let us learn of some of the
causes of infant morality. Last sum-
mer in Chicago. during the month of
July, over six hundred babies died.
DR.. Evans, the health officer of that
city gave as the principal reasons Of
death, lack of fresh air, lack of bath
ing and improper foods. He further
stated that they found children six
years of age who had never had a
bath. realize, of course, that this
is an exaggerated condition, and one
which does not exist in the average
community. But does it not show that
we have work to do. and that we can
do something to ameliorate the suf-
ferings about us? Perhaps you can
not 20 to foreign land and teach the
gospel of Jesus Christ, but every one
of II scan do something to better the
conditions about us. Remember that
the cause of humanity is the cause of
God.
Public drinking cups are a great
source of spreading disease. l wish
I could impress upon every mother
the necessity of individual drinking
cups. and never, under any conditions
to allow a child to drink from pub
lie drinking cup. You have already
heard much about flies and their part
in transmitting disease. Paciiers
might also be mentioned as another
source of i'll health, and their use
should be abandoned.
Parents should confide in their
children an dwarn them and treat
them like reasonable human beings
and not mere animals.
A child that is old enough to ask
an intelligent question is old enough
to receive an intelligent reply. Con-
fidences are often broken in early
childhood when the little one comes
to mother with few stones or other
things which are uninteresting to the
mother, but which are very inter-
esting to the child. If told to run
away and not bother - will soon learn
that the mother is not interested in
the things in which he is interested
and will seek playmates who are in
terested in their simple amusements.
Once broken confidence is not easily
restored.
Many beautiful leassons may be
learned from the plant and animal
life about US which can be beautifully
told to the child.
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