The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-22
DR.. PARKE REPORTS
ON PUBLIC HEALTH
Problems That Confront Peo-
pie of Alabama
HIGH INFANT MORTALITY
Improper Food the Greatest Cause of
Death Among Infants--Nccessity
for Guarding Against Typhoid
In the State


ing address before the conference on
the great white plague last night. Ills
report on public health dealt with the
history of sanitation and summed up
all Of the great needs for correction and
prevention.
His report of the public health work
in Birmingham was exceptionally In
teresting. DIR. Parke made a spirited
attack against the lease convict sys-
tenn and denounced the city jail as In
sanitary and inhuman.
He declared that the necessity of CO.
operation in public health matters.
means. In the long run, public health
department in the national government,
and member in the cabinet. DR.. Parke
also went into the question Of san
itation and diet for children and babies,
attacking a number of false theories.
Here is his report In part;
Problems In Alabama
"Now that we have attempted In
this brief way TO analyze the growth
and the beneficence of the growth of
public health science, let us select for
consideration some of the concrete
problems that face us in Alabama.
Excessive mortality among infants
is one of these, here as elsewhere. Let
US emphasize in the beginning that
mere trea tment by drugs can play a
very minor role in the solution OF
this problem. It is a question of pre-
yention, as are all public health prob
lens. Prevention is so all-important
that our whole attention should be
directed to it, Roughly speaking, one
fourth of all children born alive die
prior to reaching the age of five years
and of these five years the first year
is by all odds the one which shows
the great preponderance of deaths.
This Is no time or place for a
full discussion of all the factors en-
tering into infant mortality but it
is deemed proper to deal with the most
important factor-the one that causes
large majority of all deaths in In
fants under two-the factor consti-
tuted by intestinal disorders. Wherever
this factor has been stressed and in
telligent effort made to meet 1t a graf
flying lowering of the death rate has
been obtained.
First and foremost should come the
recognition that nature provides for
the young of each species the food
best adapted to that particular species.
Nature has provided for the young OF
the human species a food that differs
from that provided for any. other
species and tru--as--ss, co -rfnd a food
so well adapted to the need of human
babies as is the milk furnished by
human females Babies are reared on
the milk of other animals babies are
reared on proprietary foods, but the
universal verdict OF experiences over
the whole civilized world is that the
chances for survival of a baby raised
on human milk are very much greater
than for one raised on artificial food.
Mortality of Artificial Feeding
ITO illustrate this, let us cite some
statistics gathered in a city where rec
erds are accurately kept-the city of
Berlin, Germanys
THE figures are based on $500
deaths occurring in children under one
year of age and, OF course, extended
over period of several years.
1.-THE records show that the death
rate among those given breast milk
alone was IA per 1000. Among those
given breast milk and cows milk, 81 4
per 1000. Among those given cows
milk alone, 40 per 1000. Among those
given cows milk and substitutes for
cows milk, 125 per 1000.
Wherever accurate records have
been kept thesame disparity has been
shown to exist and, mind you, these
records have been furnished by pro-
fession that has made strenuous ef-
forts to find a, suitable substitute for
breast feeding. 1t is more than mere
statistics. 1t is a confession of fail
ure.
THE frightful mortality attendant
on artificial feeding among the poorer
classes has led some advanced cities
to begin policy of giving aid TO work
Ing mothers so that they may be en-
abled to remain a home to nurse their
infants. And in these communities If
is not pure sentamentalism but a rec
ognition OF the economic value of the