The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-26
TRAGEDIES
AMID LONDON POOR
Ignorance of Mothers and Cruelty of
Others Cause Many Deaths
Babies Tortured.

has TO confess to the existence OF such
dense-such more than bestial-ignor-
ance in the very center OF twentieth
century civilization. This particular
story shocks and appals more. we
think. than any that has preceded It
within recent recollection. A hapless
infant OF eight weeks, the child OF a
laborer, suffering from "cold," could
not be expected to receive that prompt
and delicate handling that a child Of
parents more fortunately circum-
stanced would probably receive; but.
On the other hand. II is rare for ali
infant of such a tender age to suffer
from a cold" at all. II tended with
reasonable care. The remedies, as
known to SO mothers out OF 100. what
ever their circumstances, are simple.
But this Stepney mother was the hun
dredth. AS poor people often do. she
called In the assistance OF a neighbor.
who undertook to give the unfortunate
infant a specific that would "cure" its
cough and make the child sleep. And
what was It? A decoction of poppy
heads. Think OF 1t. A dilute infusion
of laudanum for babe OF eight weeks,
whose delicate digestive organs are
capable OF absorbing nothing heavier
than its mothers milk The neigh
Dor actually described It as a good
old-fashioned country remedy" one
that she had given her own children
frequently. One wonders what be-
came OF them.
Parental Ignorance.
Unfortunately this deplorable trag-
edy is only typical of many that are
happening daily within this over
grown city OF ours. Any physician
practicing In a poor neighborhood
could out OF his experience I'll a page
OF this journal in an hour with similar
stories OF narrowing import. The sac
rifice Of inarticulate child life due to
absence Of the elementary instincts OF
motherhood from the mind OF the lg-
norant parent is appalling. and in
spite OF the general decrease In in
FAINT mortality, this particular phase OF
child slaughter does not diminish in
volume; what is booming less is the
number OF fatalities due to accident
and extrnneous cases, such as over
laying by drunken parents. After
nearly 40 years OF a system Of ele-
the people from a presumed ignorance
OF letters and the desirable elements
OF knowledge that literature conveys,
we have to confess that the ignorance
OF the London pool OF the common
lplace and intuitive facts of everyday
life and rule and conduct Is deeper
than that OF any savage race, so called.
There is no people OF which we have
any record against which we can leve3
such a reproach az that which we
have to lay at the doors Of the poor OF
London. Even the most despised
creatures OF the lower order of animals
have an instinct that enables them to
feed their offspring correctly and to
protect them from the accidents OF
weather and climate; but there Is 10
such instinct In the minds Of the
lowest stratum Of the human popula-
ton, and, what is worse. no desire to
acquire knowledge OF such elementary
facts.
Go to any chlldren's hospital, any
nursing home, any dispensary. in the
poor districts Of London, and the
parade OF the victims OF child TRACE
dies of the most heart-piercing kind
will visit you at every turn. To view
the puny, wizened faces, the attenuat-
ed and often distorted limbs, and the
dazed and idiotic countehances Of the
numberless infants sacrificed to the
ignorance and the criminal reckless
ness OF mothers who are worse than
the beasts in their ignorance, Is an ex-
perience that can be bought by the
exercise Of a very little trouble and a
I'D through
the slums. The contemplation OF 1t Is
enough to induce a doubt In the WIS
dom of providence itself. and VIII seem
to be a mockery OF the command OF
the Nazarene to Suffer little children
to come unto Me-" Why should these
unfortunates be allowed to come into
the world to be tortured by sleeping
draughts OF gin and paragoric by cal
lous crones to whom they are connded
by Woodworking mothers compelled
to leave their homes all day; why
should they be given into the careless
hands of other mothers to be Ted VITA
ANYTHING but their natural 1000,
trundled about in the streets by older
and careless brothers and sisters, ex-
posed to all weathers without cover
ing. and without the most ordinary
sanitary provision? Any one know
ing these things. and knowing the un'
told suffering inflicted on the children
OF the London poor. may be forgiven
for rejoicing to be told that the suner-
ings OF one OF them has ended In
merciful deliverance from further trfD-
ulation.
The Economic Remedy
What is the remedy? 1t Is difficult
to say. Education, in the sense that
has been practiced, Is useless.
teaches nothing but what Is or least
assistance in the elementary art OF
making the best OF ones opportunities
and ones means. Something may De
done by teaching every girl the most
necessary things that appertain 10 the
care of infants; but this ought to have
been taught by the girls mother; that
Il has not been so taught Is one con.
sequence OF the modern system OK
education, which not merely teaches
the wrong things but destroys the
child's opportunity OF. acquiring nome
truths at the mothers knee-and there
ought to be no better source OF the
elements Of every day knowledge. NO
doubt the conditions OF slum lie help
to beget Ihe callous Indifference which
Il the worst characteristic Of the poor
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