Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-15
Heat Proven to Be a Great
Factor in Infant Mortality.
Declares DR.. SCheresCheWSky

At the afternoon session yesterday Or.
j. w. Schereschewsky Of Washington
discussed the relations between heat ard
infant mortality, with special reference 10
the marked increase in mortality among
babies during the summer months. Deaths
of infants. he said. show 4 striking pa al
lelism with the curve of maximum tenn
peratures increasing in numbers when
the temperatures are high. and decreas-
ing the heat subsidies
Setting forth the conclusions no has
reached after extended Investigation, DR..
Schereschewsky said that the action OF
heat as a direct cause in the death Of in
fants has hitherto been greatly under
estimated, and declared that In the fu-
tn more weight should be given 10 its
influence.
The evidence showed. he held. that this
action of heat is not SO much question
of outdoor temperature as of the tenn
perature indoors. leaving the Inference
that proper vent iation and cooling Of the
rooms of houses may be expected TO at
feet favorab4y the mortality among in
fants during the summer months.
Housing an Important Factor.
The effect of dirty and stale milk. he
said. in causing the death of babies.
while undoubtedly a powerful contrib
uting factor. has been given an inn
portance that has overshadowed other
factors of equal or greater Importance.
As result future activities for The pre-
vention of infant mortality must coacen-
trate themselves to greater extent GA
the question of housing. especially with
respect to the factors OF oVereroWdins,
narrow streets, and the presence 81 alb
sence of thoroush ventilation. The Een-
eral public. he said, should he educated
as to the Importance of these iaclore n
causing the death of infants ami espe-
cialy as To measures which Hlll pre-
vent children from Suffering from the
heat.
In the course of discussion OF DR.
Schereschewsky paper. ashington
milk dealer took occasion to remark that
Washington's milk supply Is shipped TO
the city from long q stances and that
much of 1t is actually unit for use when
1t reaches the consumer. DIR. w. &.
Woodward read extracts from the health
reports of the District of Columbia 10.
the past twenty years, showing the rela
ton between infant mortality and the eN-
IRENE heat of the summer months.
Protests Dosing of Babies.
DIR. John Rowland, physician in chief or
the Harriet Lane Hospital of Baltimore
and head of the department of pediatrics
Of Johns Hopkins Medical School. ad-
vanced a number OF reasons why parents
should not dose their babies with soda
tives. stimulants and cathartics. and de
clared that unwisely administered, even
the most innocuous remedies are pro-
ductive of much injury TO the health Of
infants.
The session was presided over by Dr
Henry +. HelfnhoiZ. assistant professor
of pedatrics OF Rush Medical College,
Chicago, and medical director Of the chi
cage Infants Hospital, who urged broad
er cooperation among infant welfare
workers and an extension of such Wei
fare work, including instruction in the
care and proper feeding OF babies, TO
physicians themselves. many ol whom,
he said, still consider the problems OF
infant feeding so difficult that they are
best left to the mother, the nurse The
dealer in proprietary foods"