The Caucasian., 1913-11-16

the world in their most plastic |
Years, i'll a universal baby contes,
And this cooperation most keenly
aroused by the idea of baby con-
test will eventuate in a national
baby census.
'The fact that al least one-third Of
all the children born in America
die before the legal school age is
appalling, and too little regarded by
parents. although fact well known
Ey scientists and physicians and the
public generally.
The same conditions that kill SO
many babies annually. injure the
surviving two-thirds. many Of
whom come to maturity as a ship
that has weathered a cyclone ar
rives at port, in condition OF
physical, mental and moral unfit
ness for future economic useful
ness, and unsuccessful
Voyage on the Sea Of Life.
What would the world think OF
municipality whose ninety million
of people were forced to drink wa
ter, whose source was ceSspool OF
slime and poisonous bacteria, and
which carried off two-thirds Of its
inhabitants annually? Would not
the citizens turn out. in mass to
wage warfare on city officials who
were so careless of human life as to
refuse to search for the causes that
I led to this large number of cases OF
typhoid fever, tuberculosis, dlph-
i iberia. etc? Would they not in the
saving of human life values, more
than compensate the taxpayer Tor
the expense of alert watchfulness
over the infant stream that feeds
1.-THE larger source of water supply
of the city?
What then shall we say if the
, State and the taxpayer, knowing as
both do that the source OF the
strength and stability or permanent
cy of the. nation depends upon the
care and safety Of the one-third OF
the Nations infant human supply
: that is now wasted through lgnor-
ance of parents, Indifference OF the
: taxpayer, and lack OF legal State au-
thority. to investigate the cause OF
the serious infant mortality, and &c
remove the cause, by providing ade-
-. fN,.
through the immediate and con-
stant medical supervision OF the
I homes and the children in these
: homes. Moral and mental health
+. arc the filters that purify the phys.
: icaI existence, and are consequently
e necessary aids to the training fol
: good citizenship. Hence collaborat-
!. ors of more than ordinary ski
5 must unite with the physician anf
{ parents to save and develop tli'
9 one-third Of the infant human fam
y ily that die before school age.
: This We Are Doing in the Baby
: Contests.
!, The parents must be taught D!
). expert scientists how to prevent tn
e death OF their precious babes, ant
g how to preserve the health OF chii
5. dren by preventive measures.
Isl Each year the school draws legal
d lly nearer the cradle. The child i
heir to the school at birth; but tn
e parents, the community and tn
: State have compelled this preclou
: asset of the State to spend Its mos
plastic years in riotous living, with
). out expert guidance in its food
n clothing, interests. or physical AM
e mental activities. The little moth
n er, be she rich or poor, is not cap
eI able alone of preserving her chill
n in its highest normal state through
Il out its cradle years. She must hav
= nolens volens State aid through tn
e guidance Of finest pediatricians an
'e trained psychologists.
nj The right discharge OF the sacfe'
# trust of motherhood and fathefnoo
e demands the noblest type OF MINDS
/ and the most scientific knoWieug
o. that can be obtained from the vas
o aggregate of human training an
Il practice.
ri No li1Nt should be placed upo
le the number Of skilled scientists tina
g IS necessary to fashion an iinmorta
mind, and to conserve peffec
II N ~
: physical body in the cradle years 9
: humanity.
Is No excuse is too great where
/ purchases the stability OF the rae
through the conservation OF IN
IS nursery.
81 Money spent on the daily tra,nin
le| and assistance of the mother Whe
ID the babe is in the cradle would say
Il money that is spent on backwar
s. and defective school children-o
Is abnormal children. industrial it
VI competents and reform schools.
~ sHfNx n