Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-25

Z .
! biography in its session here today.
4 paper of absorbing interest. deal
/ ing with infant mortality. was read by
| Edward Bunnell Phelps. editor Of The
American Underwater New York city
The subject Of medical inspection for
! public school children was taken up in
most able form by Or. Helen McMur
| chy, Of Toronto Canada, and Or. Will
| lard :. Small, principal Of the Eastern
! High school, Washington. D. G.
| Editor Phelps made the interesting
statement that 100000 babies are
born into the world every year But.
on the other hand, 10000 900 of them
! die before they reach the age of one
year.
This means that about 10000 ba bies
die every day in the year, or on every
other tick Of the clock an infant life
goes out. To this terrible harvest of
| infant lives the United States contrib
utes 900 a day.
There are the best Of reasons for be
| lieving," said Mr. Phelps, that at least
so per cent Of the worlds infant NOR
civilized countries are Just beginning to
awake to that fact.
Crusade Making Rapid Progress.
The present broad crusade for the
reduction of infant mortality" added
Mr. Phelps dates back scarcely Ave
years. and can now be regarded as lit !
tie more than a promise Of the whole
90 Ia
international congresses for the discus
sion of the subject have already been
held In Europe. a permanent interna-
tional association with similar purposes
has been organized. and all hold out
great promise in France, Belgium, Ger
many, Holland. Great Britain. the
United states and other countries. The
movement has made exceptional prog
ress in Germany
Mothers should suckle their children
IS God intended" declared DR.. William
IL Davis vital staustician of the health
department of Boston, in the course of
an address.
cor babies reaching the age Of two
weeks" said the doctor. zone In five
while If breast fed only one in 30 fails
10 reach the one-year mark This means
that the death Of these infants would
be so per cent less than they are today
II all babies We're breast fed"
Dr. Davis said the women of Norway
and Sweden suckle their babies when
ever possible, and for that reason those
~.
infant mortality of any countries in the
world
The hookworm was the chief tonic
discussed late Yesterday The ravages
that this pest has made in Porto Rico
and the effective campaign the United
States has made against it, was de-
scrlbed by Or Bailey * Ashford. man
ager of the medical corps Of the United
states army at San Juan, Porto Rico.
In an interesting address.
Wiping Hookworm Out.
Dr. Ashford said the Porto Ricans
had been exposed to the rayages of
the hookWorm for centuries but since
the United states government had
taken hold of the island this strange
pest had been practically eradicated.
The physical condition of the Porto
Ricans, said the doctor, is now 80 per
cent better than when the government
began it's campaign against the hook
worm about seven years ago
Since 1904 over 800. 900 victims of the
hookWorm have been treated in Porto
Rico, and with complete success. There
remains about 100000 more to be treat
I'd. but these cases are not aggravated.
DIT Ashford took up the material
benefit that has accrued to the Island
of Porto Rico because of this highly
successful campaign against the hook
worm. He estimated that the com
merce o! the island had increased at
least 400 per cent because of the en-
ergy and activity of the native laborers
after they had been relieved Of the
hookworm disase.
Talking ON the subject of "Siguifl-
canoe Of Physiological Age in Educa
! ton Dr G. Ward Champion. director
| of physical training in the New York
/ public schools. delivered an impressive
| address to the congress DR. Cramp-
ton held that physiological develop
ment rather than actual age should be
| the standard of classification in the
I case Of school children.
From birth TO maturity" he said
! children develop at different rates
| some outsuippiug others in the race
81 that We ind at the age of fourteen
| about uue-third who are already quite
! men and Vnuru one third i'm a transit