The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-09
1T SAVED BABIES
Pure Food Law of 1905 Saved
Thousands of Them.
u. s. Statistics Show Lower
Death Rate and Give Credit.

The pure food law of 1906 has been
great success, and the vital statis-
tics in the United States have records
to prove it. Since the new law went
into effect, the death rate of infants
has been much lower in all parts OF
the country. In the larger cities, like
New York, Chicago, Pittsburg and Bal
timore, the death rate ten years ago
nearly reached a climax, until the law
was passed. In the country districts
the danger was not so great, but there
has been a marked difference since
that date.
The statistics show a difference in
several parts of the country before the
law was passed, ranging from 2 or )
per cent infant death rate in the west
ern country districts to 10 and IL per
cent in many eastern cities. In some
periods the infant mortality in the
crowded districts of New York ana
BROOKLYN reached almost 20 per cent,
although this was not general.
The Improvement in the infant death
rate has been remarkable in the large
cities and can be noticed in the small
er places. In one district in Jersey
City, N. j. where the per cent of in
fants who have died was about 10 per
cent in 1903, now has rate of only
per cent. Both of these averages
were taken in the summer time, and
10 per cent is a good Improvement in
the ten years.
There have been a good many rea-
sons given for the change, but the
most probable one is the pure food
law and local milk inspection. The
food law forces the packer and manu-
facturer to label his goods, and by in
spection keeps all diseased particles
from being placed in the food. The
milk inspection is not general, but most
of the cities, and some states have
adopted the plan. In Topeka the city
has an expert, George F. Babb, who
sees that the milk supply in the city is
kept pure. Public notices of the result
of his tests aid the consumer in pick
ing out the best milk. Therefore all
of the milk consumed by babies in the
city is pure, and the danger is not
nearly SO great as before on the milk
question.
cessful remedy for the patent medi-
cine fad" one Topeka physician said
today, land forces the crooked manu-
facturer to improve his goods. There
was time when soothing syrups and
the like contained a large per cent of
opium, which was decidedly injurious
to the child. Many mothers gave the
to their babies, and were
satisfied when the children went to
sleep under its influence. Many times
when babies would have an affliction
with their ears, their mothers would
some of the syrup, when a
little medical attention would have re-
licved the suffering. The infants many
times were rendered deaf in that way,
and it broke down their nervous syS-
tenn. There were a dozen brands of
medicine that was a formula of opium
or its derivities.'
In Topeka the number of infant fu-
nerals have decreased so per cent, and
at the present time the babies are kept
in good health despite the warm
weather. The average infant death
rate in Topeka before the law went
into effect was about 9 per cent, and
It has decreased to 4 or per cent, since
that time. The Investigations show
that there are very few infant deaths
caused by impure foods of late, and
in the cities where there is official
milk inspection, the rate is even lower.
In Topeka it is unusual to have more
than a few infant deaths in a month,
and the coffin firms have not sold one
baby coffin where they sold ten