The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-17

period of IA days, of which the first seven
comprised the hottest week of 1907. In
this way not only the immediate but the
after effect of period of excessive heat
was misunderstanding that Is rarely
done. The average mean temperature
of the first week from July Is to July "a
was 1856 degrees. In the three tenement
house blocks is deaths, or per cent of
the total number of infants known to
nave been born during the year died dur
Ing the two sweeks-nine during the first
week and seven. during the second. Had
similar death rate prevailed throughout
the rest of the year the mortality would
have been more than 100 per cent In the
four middle class blocks and in the %
wealthy residential blocks of approx
mately the same population no deaths
were recorded. These facts tell their own
story. The probable absence for the sum-
mer or most of the wealthy mothers and
many of the middle class mothers cannot
be considered as factors in the case, be-
cause the ability to leave a hot city and
thus avoid principal cause of infants
deaths Qike the ability to employ infant
specialists, trained nurses, etc)-is a
purely economic advantage. Light, air.
sanitary surroundings and proper nour-
ishment, are all factors in the reduction
of infant mortality. The lack of the
means to purchase these commodities
spells misery, disability and death.
For the wealthy mother expert knowl-
edge on all matters affecting the life of
her little one is available. Infant
specialists prescribe an exact diet; trained
nurses administer and supervise: in all
details of the baby's growth she is sup
ported by the best counsel and advice. If
the child of the wealthy mother does
poorly or dies, 1t Is because scientific
knowledge has failed, not because that
knowledge has been unavailable.
In the case of middle class mothers
the handicaps are perhaps greater, as
these mothers, lacking the means to
avail themselves of expert knowledge. are
obliged to rely upon less trained physi-
clans and to seek information from
sources that often prove untrustworthy
But because these mothers have as a
rule more children than the wealthy
and because, being free from heavy
social demands, they can give the chill
dren more personal care and attention.
they acquire a certain experience and
knowledge which is handed down from
generation to generation and which, to
large degree, tends to Offset the ad-
vantage of purchased knowledge of an
expensive character.
1t is among the mothers or the lower
strata of society that the need for in
creased knowledge on infant feeding
infant hygiene and matters pertaining to
infancy is most keenly felt. Step by step
as one descends from The extreme rich
to the extreme poor, he finds conditions
increasing which initiate against the
lives of little ones Where people are
poorest, and where the scantiest means
are found to combat evils which threaten
there invariably we find the darkest tene-
ments, the narrowest and most foulsome
streets, the lowest standard of living and
the greatest ignorance. In consequence of
all this, the death rate among infants
as all persons know who work in these
localities. is appalling. Especially in the
summer time the babies literally die Hike
flies. Up and down the hot streets white
hearses pass frequently.
The fear of something terrible hangs
like the sword of Damocles over the
frightened ignorant and too often super
stitious mother. Why do the babies die +?
The mother does not know. She only
know that her baby is vomiting and lying
lifeess in her arms, and that at any
moment 1t may follow where many others
have gone. A timely word, telling them
to do or not to do the thing In which
their ignorance is murderous, In many
they begin to realize this their eagerness
to learn-their hunger for instruction-is
pitiful, more pitiful than physical hunger,
or its twin-spectre undernourishment
stamped on the faces of so many, many
women and children of our tenements
This Is the real tragedy of infant NOR
tality. The unsatisfed desire of souls
for knowledge, the permission of spiritual
suffering and death.
To prevent the needless sacrifice of the
innocents, the New York milk committee
since June 1, 1908, has maintained num-
Der of infants milk depots in congested
quarters of New York city. These depots,
in sense, have been experiment sta
lions where the relative value of raw
and pasteurized milk, the efficacy of
class and Institutional work among
mothers, the encouragement of maternal
nursing, problems of milk distribution and
relief, and the proper feeding of infants,
have been worked out and where 1t has
been demonstrated beyond all doubt that
by following certain known methods, the
deaths of large numbers Of infants are
absolutely needless. Some of the most
prominent physicians in New York city
are members of the milk committee and
confidently believe that If the work, of
which 1t has laid such strong founda-
tions, can be extended quite generally
- IT.