The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-17
|DR. ABT TALKS ON INFANTS DISEASES Pure Milk Is Greatest Asset
 to Baby's Health INFANT MORTALITY
MORTALITY
INFANT
Physician Says Births Are Decreas- ing and Infant Mortality Is as High as Ever = Specially
 Trained Nurses Desired

1 To large audience. composed of mem- bers of the Jefferson County Medical association, men and women prominent in | child labor work in this city and others connected with the prevention of infantile mortality, Dr. Isaac A. Apt, professor Of | Juvenile diseases at the Northwestern university of Chicago, read a scientific paper on "The Recent Advances in Pre- vention of Infantile Diseases and Death
 Rate in the Chamber of Commerce audi
 torium last evening The occasion was
 the regular meeting of the Jefferson County Medical association and Dr. James McLester, president of the association,
 was present in his official capacity.
 pr. and Mrs. Apt. who arrived in this city direct from Chicago yesterday aft ernoon, were the guests of honor at a
 diner given at the Hilman hotel by a
 number of physicians and left on a late tanooga, where Dr. Apt will speak before
 medical bodies on similar subjects. pr. Ross Snyder introduced the Chi cago scientist as a charter member of the American Association of Milk Com missioners, as we'll as a teacher and physician. During the discourse Dr. Apt discussed the best methods of conducting a successful infants hospital, the value of specially trained nurses for the care of infants, the importance of clean milk for infants, stating that the purpose of the child. welfare movement was not
 only to save, life of feeble and delicate in- fants, but to disseminate knowledge among all classes that will prevent healthy babies from becoming sick. He gave practical advice for the inspection
 of milk and laid stress on the vital role this article plays in the lowering or raising of the mortality rates. Dr. Abt said in part:
 During the last century, which has been a period of marvellous progress in medical science, human life has been pro- longed for the general population, though
 infant mortality continues much as it
 did in former times According to sta tistics which I will quote later, the birth
 rate in all civilized countries is deelin-
 ing. There are many causes for this de- cline. both physiological and economic. whichfEeed not be gone into at this time. "The diseases of infancy are relative ly much more frequent in cities than in rural districts for in the former poverty stricken conditions exist that would not
 be suffered in the country. The density of population, overcrowding and insanita- . ton of the poorer living quarters in the
 city, all tend to make the source and spread of disease a difficult enemy to
 rout. The ignorance, neglect and improp-
 CT nourishment which is the common lot
 of the babies of the very poor can be
 blamed for the high rate of mortality re-
 ported from these districts of a city. Mothers who are factory and shop work CTS help pile up the infantile death rate by their farelessness and inability to care for their children.
 a"One-fifth of all the deaths in the United States is of children under year of age and one-fourth consists of those
 under 5 years. Therefore, high mortality
 among infants means high mortality
 among children up to the sixth year.
 "The best results can be obtained by
 an aggressive campaign on the following lines A more thorough and special training of candidates for the degree of
 doctor of medicine in all that pertains to infant diseases; special training of nurses
 for properly equipped infants hospitals education of mothers; training of girls and young women in high schools in all
 matters relating to infant hygiene.
 "The watchword of the movement has been clean milk Milk must be guarded alOnB Ine llne dlttT IL SldTtS upon us journey from animal to infant and the utmost care taken that no member of the dairyman's family is infested with any infectious disease. The farmer who pro- duces an improved quality of milk should be paid an increased price for his goods for the best milk Is the most economical in the safety of the health of the child. All health officers, city and state depart ments, medical societies, public and pri- vate philanthropists should unite in a common purpose to enforce clean milk supply for the city. No article of food can be made so unclean and unfit for con sumption as milk Whisky, beer and ole-
 omararine are better protected by law from adulteration than milk"
 At the close of Dr. Abt's treatise, the president on behalf of the society ex- pressed an appreciation and thanks to the speaker and many of those present held an informal reception after the adjourn | ment.