The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-08

VI course! Everybody does. So you
will be interested in what comes next.
During the past six months, Ameri-
can women, leaders in progressive
movements for lettering humanity,
have brought to the attention of their
home-making sisters a new popular
science of great value in the family
circle.
AT first 1T was studied by a few
mothers who found that it could sim
pity their daily lives and make home
brighter. Then a few physicians who
had specialized on ailments of children
saw Its educational possibilities and
began to read, and then to write about
IT. Health officers and city officials
who were fighting sickness and pow
erty next took it up Now fully half the
women's clubs of the country have In
cluded the subject in their programs
for 1914, and the gospel is spreading
from coast to coast.
For lack of a more technical term,
we who are interested in the work
have coined word. We call this sci
ence "Babyology.' 1t means that
branch of scientific study of man
which deals simply. clearly, directly
and comprehensiyely with the baby, as
foundation on which Is built nation
al health, strength, energy, intelli
gence and morality It involves the
consideration of every phase of baby's
life. physical, mental and moral, from
Its food to its play. from Its. cleanli-
ness of body to the sort of love lavish
ed upon 1t. A more fascinating science
for women has never been evolved.
Why" exclaims mother, I'VE have
always studied babies.''
AS an individual, interested mother,
perhaps you have, Lady Mother The
United States, as nation has not.
Just think! In one state, where they
have perfect system for registering
high-grade hogs and where the state
legislature appropriates thousands ev-
cry year to stamp out hog cholera,
they do not register the birth of babies
at all and the legislature does not ap-
propriate dollar to stamp out tuber-
eulosfs which threatens the lives of It's
babies.
Even physicians have not placed
great importance on the study of
babies. They have had their hands
full doctoring grown-ups, who might
have been healthy adults if properly
started In life.
No, after ushering the child into
the world and pronouncing it sound
the average physician has turned the
baby over to the parents, and under
their care 1t has remained until it de
yeloped some acute malady, when the
doctor re-appeared on the scene The
cure of the malady, not its prevention
has long been the Office of the family
physician. They do 1t better in China
where physicians are paid only Sc
long as the health of the family is
good.
The world has also proceeded on
the theory that with the birth of the
baby was born in the mother some
heaven-sent knowledge of how to raise
LIE UdDs- i " DS nui q, ohC " Go tduSu III
to read and write and cook and sew
but there was no need to teach hel
how to raise the baby. BY some mys
terious process, God supplied thai
knowledge.
That He did not is shown by the fact
that twenty-five per cent Of the deaths
in our country are Of children under
one year Of age.
The responsibility for baby-life does
not lie with the Creator, nor with the
mother, but with those whose duty Il
is to see that every young woman is
taught babyology along with the othel
"ologies" included in the course o.
study set forth in public and private
schools.
! Another mistaken belief abou
babies has been that they are borr
delicate" or strong; and, as the.
| are born, SO must they live-that is, i
they live at all! The delicate baby ha'
been regarded as a dispensation o
providence, to be accepted with pa
thence and resignation. Mother trottet
and dosed 1t by day, and Father walk