The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-18

| In March, 1911, there was organized in Birmingham a committee of the Asso- ciated Charities, entitled a committee for the study and prevention of infant mortal | ity. This committee, composed Of repre- sentative women, met and elected Mrs. B. R. Roden chairman, Mrs. G. B. McCor-
 mack vice chairman, and Mrs. Sterling J. Foster secretary.
 | Thus was launched in Birmingham one
 more striking example of woman's hu-
 manity toward mankind.
 The first practical demonstration of the
 working of this body of noble women was
 the establishment on Avenue k of a l babies dispensary and milk station, which | opened it's doors on June 8, offering a daily shelter for the little ones of the
 working mother. pure milk for the bottle
 babies, medical advice for sick ones and
 instructions for the expectant mother and
 for the nursing one.
 That an institution of this kind was and still is needed is readily appreciated when the mortality among babies under l year of age stands at the present fig
 ures.
 During the past 10 years, out of every
 1000 babies born In Birmingham, 154 have
 died before attaining the age of 1 year. In New York during a similar period the
 rate was 149.3 deaths per 1000 born. For the purposes of comparison with
 other cities, an analysis is based on the five years from 1906 to 1910, inclusive. The
 death rate in Birmingham during this period was IA. 2- higher than Boston with
 her 132 9 New York with 1858 and Phila-
 delphia with 142.4; lower than Buffalo's s
 14G.5, Cleveland's 156S and Detroits l903. In 1910 there were recorded PIT births
 and 42o deaths under 1 year, a rate of | l51.2 per thousand In 1911 there were | born 29G0 babies, and AT deaths were re-
 corded, rate of 140.9, or an average for the two years of 146.05 deaths per cent.
 Taking the reported deaths on the records
 Of the health department, one IS sratified
 to learn of marked decrease In the num-
 Der of deaths during the first seven
 months of this year as compared to the
 same period in 1911. January, February
 and March the rate was a little higher | this year than last, while in April and | May the deaths were half the number of
 the corresponding months or last year.
 June and July of this year show total ! of S0 compared to 9l last year Tn the same months.
 A study of the temper iature records con- | tains the answer to this, the weather | bureau recording an accumulated defici- ency of 736 degrees to date. r. is hoped that tie work of the infant mortality committee has been at least factor in
 this reduced mortality, but this is not susceptible of proof, for obvious reasons.
 In fact. when any analysis is attempted
 througtout the United States, q most de- rlofahlc state of affairs is found to exist. in the general inadequacy of vital statis-
 ties. A recent pamphlet issued by the bureau of the census of the United States, in commenting on this situation, uses
 strorg language:
 r Not a single state. not even single city in the entire United States possesses
 {. thorough registration of births. Bos- ton claims to have about the best, 96 per cent. The era of the modernf sanitary civilization may be marked by the dates
 upon which various countries began to record infant mortality. Some countries China, Turkey and the United States even yet. possess no records of infant
 mortality. Unless the American people wake up. China and Turkey will have sat isfacsory data for infant mortality long befolc the United States. The emission of the United States from tine interna-
 iiona' data for births Is on account of