The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-28

informa ton, anywhere from a million
and half to two million American
babies are allowed to die every ten
Ecars-enough of our infants to popu-
late another Philadelphia or Chicago
The diffusion OF information which
mothers and fathers reed to save these
babies lives will be one of the prime
functions Of the children's bureau.
states representing only a half of tho
population OF the United States a $ Yet
take the trouble TO gather statistics
on this subject. Those that do gati n
such figures End that twenty seven out
OF each hundred of their children die
before they are five years old. And
among these the highest death rate
for youngsters under kindergarten age
is found in Pennsylvania. where it is
thirty -four per hundred. while the
lowest. in California. is only sixteen
per hundred.
Awful Sacrifice of Innocents.
About 100000 Of our babies die
before they reach their fifth wear.
If the same .-veraSe rate as found in
the states keeping statistics is true
also of those which do not register
these deaths. Speaking of these ire
mendous rates of infant mortality.
Representative Barnhart, of Indiana,
while championing the childrcns
bureau bill in the House, said the
other da.-:
1T is declared that a million young
American mothers are annually bring
ing children into the world with no
qualification for the proper care of
their health except love and devotion.
The nation and the States have bureaus
OF scientific research which disscmi-
nate Information on all topics of ami
NAL and industrial welfare. but scarce
" line is printed for free distribu-
ton. which would prepare Young par
ents for such care OF their children as
would make of them sturdy and sue
cessful CITIZENS"
Food Poison. Epidcmics, blindness.
To help reduce our annual sacrifice
of these millions of babies. the chill
drcns bureau will, in the first place
find out the death rates in all of these
states and then cndcavor to account
for tho wide divergence of the rates
of different States. 1t will work on
the principle that the American childs
powers of successfully battling with
the ills of tender age should he uni
fcrmly normal III our various COM
mun'tics. Where the death rate OF
children is higher than the normal
Investigations will be made to de-
tcrmine whether the high rate is due
TO laX!ty of health department rcgula-
lions, to the inability of the poor 10
employ competent physicians at child
birth. to local epidemic OF diseases, etc.
Health regulations needed to protect
communities from chiidrcn's cpidcmics
will he recommended.
Food poisoning will he another fac
tor in infant mortality which the
bureau will probe. From this cause
twenty children die daily IN Indiana.
according TO Or. Hurry. head OF that
States health department.. Much
needed literature for the education of
parents along other lines will also he
disseminated by this new government
Office.
Accidents 10 children present an
other special problem which, according
to the law. this new Office must "cs-
pccially'' Investigate. Such statistics
as have been gathered to date show
that children suffer more severely
from accidents than do adults.
The blind child will also receive at
tention. If. as is charged. one fourth
of our totally blind need not have
been 50, then this new clearing house
which would save these thousands OF
victims of parental ignorance. Says
Chairman Sullivan. of the New York
Association for the Ilind: Our blind
asNlums arc now full OF children sun
ported at great expense to tho state
aG::l., nriSs-s. s!!a@tszsanzz- es;h2, ;sGa!a,