The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-23
SAVE THE BABIES
IS CAMPAIGN CRY
CITY BOARD of HEALTH NOW
ADVISING MOTHERS ON CARE
OF INFANTS.
II DEATHS THIS MONTH
SUMMER COMPLAINT CAUSED MANY
FUNERALS LAST YEAR AND
PREVENTATIVE EFFORTS
TO BE INCREASED.

augurating a campaign to save the
babies, cases Of cholera infantun'
having become numerous.
1t was stated yesterday by DR.. G.
G. Hudson. Of the CITY health depart
ment, that twelve deaths already
have been reported this month, due
to the dreaded summer complain,
among infants. He further stated
that q number Of other infants were
reported to be seriously sick. The ad.
vent OF unusually warm weather is
given AZ a primary cause for the In
creased death list.
The health department gave out
the following statement:
MANY people seem to think that
summer complaint in children is
necessary disease. and often do not
regard II as q serious trouble until
Il is too late to save the bahy's lie,
1863 children died in Richmond from
this cause during the year 1910. ano
in 1911 the number who died from
this disease was 1875. In 1911 six per
cent of the number of births during
that year died from this cause. The
frixhtfuI mortality from summer COM
plant can only be understood when II
is remembered that practically all
these deaths occurred during four
and one-half months Of the year. the
deaths from this cause being nearly
one sixth of all births in the city dur
Ing that period.
Summer Complaint Deadly.
when seen In Its true light sum-
mer complaint IL a disease az deadly
as the plague of old, and one to
which typhoid fever and smallpox are
mild in comparison.
THE baby Is taken Ill with what
IL usually thought to be indigestion.
Its food Is thought to disagree with
It. 1t Is given more food which may
further disagree with 1t and vomit-
ing and a severe diarrhea starts up.
At times the onset 10 very sudden,
with severe vomiting and diarrhea
from the very beginning. The child
becomes thin, weak, pale and sallow.
the eyes sunken. the face anxious.
lips parted and q physician Is har-
r.edly called, but IL is too late for
him to save the infants life, and the
child succumbs to power against
which It's feeble resistance is unable
to cope. and It's life Ia blotted out at
the very beginning.
The worst type OF the disease is
caused by an infection which has
been attributed to various germs. The
little baby In his first summer suffers
little from this disease when not
given food other than mothers milk.
OF the bottle babies those fed on con-
densed milk are the worst sufferers.
These babies fattsn for a time on
their sugary diet, but when taken sick
In the summer shrink away and die
In a very short time.
WIZ lake Flowers
They seem to wilt like flower be-
fore the summer heat. The baby
fed upon cows milk also has much
trouble during the summer, but he
gets better diet and is. as a rule,
stronger for the contest than the IN
fortunate condensed milk baby
There are various other things
which tend to bring on attacks of
indigestion during the summer season.
The baby is often clothed too warm
~ and is thus overheated. He Is
often kept In the kitchen while the
mother Is cooking, and thus exposed
to very high temperature. Many
babies are not bathed properly and
are not given q sufficient amount of
fresh air. Above all else, the giving
of solid food to small babies Is one
OF the most dangerous things which
the mother can do. Many people will
give anything fro mmashed potatoes
to pastries To babies six months of
age. They then wonder why the baby
Is taken i'll so often"
The late Julia Ward Howe, though a
woman OF very good appearance, was
extremely modest. she once posed for
me-" said Boston painter. recently
"But she hesitated a long time before
consenting to do so. To urge her on
said. Don't be afraid I'll do you
justice, madam All, she answered,
1T isn't Justice i ask for at your hands;
It's mercy"
Professor Stuart had the privilege of
hearing the master OF Trinity utter
the classical phrase, I'VE are none OF
us fnfailible. not even the youngest OF
U.s." The youngest of us" who pro-
voked this remark was, says Professor
Stuart no less a person than Mr..
Gerald Balfour..
MIR, Kent Appointed.
III. b. Kent, of Palmyra. Fiuvanna
county. was named yesterday by Gov
ernor William Hodges Mann as es-
cheater for that county. Several
tracts Of land in Fluvanna county
have become the property OF the
Efata herause Of fha nOnuaymepf Of