New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-11
DR.. Kerley Talks of the Dan
gers of Overlooking and
Overlooking.
Do not overfeed your baby.

Do not overclothe your baby
Give It several sponge baths a day, in
water whose temperature is about that OF
the air.
Above all, let II lead the simple life
keep all excitement away from its young
brain.
These are the cardinal rules for the care
of little babies in hot weather given TO
The Tribune reporter yesterday by DR..
Charles Gilmore Kerley. who is visiting
physician at the Babies Hospital and at
the Nursery and Child's Hospital, and who
has probably seen as much of babies and
their ailments as any man in New York.
Before he began to give hot weather d.
rections for babies. though, DR.. Kerley pro-
ceeded to take the wind out of the sails Of
those pessimsts who love to claim that the
lAmerican mother is the worst mother on
earth. DR.. Kerley declares that she is the
hest mother on earth.
IT find" he said, that the young Ameri-
can mothers of the better to do classes
and by these 1 mean families where the
husband earns 80, $50 or $40 week. AS
well as the wealthy End that these
tmothers are anxious to do the very best
fthey can for their babies.
THE stories we hear of neglected chill
hren dragged around by ignorant nurse
imaids in the parks may be true in some
leases, but those cases are rare exceptions.
And 1t isn't true that mothers try to get
out of nursing their babies Those l know
I-wealthy and otherwise-feel very badly
when they can't nurse their babies.
Its true that a good many young moth
Eers start out with inadequate knowledge,
land the first child suffers. But that's the
Edault of their training-the fault or the
public schools. The schools seem to have
mo time to teach the basic facts OF life. ii
"a knowledge of the parts of the human
body and Of the care Of the body isn't the
first requirement of right living, what Isl
And what are the schools for, If not to
teach us to live right?
Physiology ought to be thoroughly
lyround into children at school, and think
Ibacteriology should be taught. too. Girls
and boys who must work for living VIII
he the better for learning these things and
they make the best possible basic knoWl-
edge for mothers-to-be How can woman
care for her baby properly If she doesn't
know about the circulation of the blood
l1iow can she be a good mother If she ism
Isure whether tuberculosis comes from a
germ or Just happens?" demanded the chill
ldren's doctor, with his dark eyes looking
sternly over the top Of his desk at the re-
oorter. However" he added hopefully
Ftbe American mother is an apt pupil.
sUben babv IS coming she sets out 10 learn
what TO do with him. And there are 50
many magazines and books published now
sdsys about the care of babies, and so
,,nanv classes at hospitals, etc, for young
mothers. that there's 10 excuse for her hot
nearning-and generally she does learn.
"What is the first thing you would tell
abe Young mother athirst for knowledge
asked the reporter.
mot TO overfeed. not to feed too often
laid Dr.. Kerey emphatically. The ten
bdency TO overfeed is the hardest thing to
combat because the natural human IN
stinct is to give baby something to eat
when It cries People don't stop to con-
sider the possibilities of collie or a pm;
they instantly conclude that tne, cTyins
baby is hungry. This is lmstdhe tHd|
IT IeIl mothers not to feed their babies
oftener than once in three or tour not t, ..
Once every three hours 10 enough TOT tnC
tiniest baby As II approaches tne age u
six months once in four hours is enough;
after six months once IN nve n no .t Iiis
gives the small stomach time 10 rest; As
10 the food-of course, mothers HhIk 10
best; after that, good cows milk Infant
foods are good in certain contingencies, as
I'm tTaveliEg. or some kinds of sickness;
but not as steady diet. Besides they
are expensive" ,- iii. a.
New York" , A..
loose milk sold in groceries: some OF II Is
5ejrIy good. but IL isn't reliable. But cert-
ned bottled milk-which means that 1t Is
certified by the milk commission OF Inc rne
LfaJ for ciea nliness and nutritive qualities
ss good | have my summer home In me
ldsiIV country upstate, and 1 know that
1.-The places where that mix comes HUN
mo. when the milk makes the baby SICK,