Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-02-22


at costs no more TO raise men
capable Of living eighty years than il.
does to grow one who has not the
capacity Of living to be forty years
old. d."-lrving Fisher in Report on
National Vitality"
Now statistics show that over forty
per cent Of the present infant NOR
tality has been adjhdged to be prevent
able and that as a general average
there are twenty-eight cases of sick
ness to one death. The amount Of
preventable illness is thus seen to be
enormous An eminent authority
upon diseases OF children states that
25 per cent Of the infantile deaths are
due to tuberculosis, acute respiratory
diseases, such as influenza; contagi-
Gus diseases such as whooping cough,
measles, diptheria, and that 52.5 per
cent of the deaths are due to acute
stric-intestinal diseases Stomach
. and bowel trouble), marasmus and
inanition (this is starvauon). Now
these causes Of death are capable of
very great reduction through proper
care and feeding; but before taking
up this, there is another thought
worthy Of remembering, and that is
this:
That the baby comes into this
world with less chance to live one
week than an old man Of ninety, and
less chance to live one year than an
old man Of eighty; and to decrease
the mortality rate. with infants, 1t is
necessary that the mother should be
educated in the care of herself and
her baby. Since we find that 52.5 per
cent OF the deaf hs are due to stomach
and bowel troubles, the question as
to how the child should be fed be-
comes the most important one, and
here again we can apply statistics
Statistics show that eighty per cent of
all diseases of the stomach and bowels
occur among those infants who are
artificially fed; so the mother who
nurses her baby is giving her baby
four times as good chance to i've
as the mother who feeds her baby
upon the very best of cows milk or
the most scientifically prepared food.
Now If 25 per cent Of the deaths
with babies under one year Of age are
due to diseases effecting the lungs
and throat such as whooping cough,
measles and dipther.a and having a
knowledge that these diseases arc
catching and contagious, the mother
who wants to raise her baby will keep
il from coming in contact with these
,iscases To bring the baby in con-
tact with these diseases, she is taking
one chance out Of four of endangerng
Its life.
If for every death occurring among
babies one year Of age there are
twenty-eight cases of sickness, we
should awaken to the realization that
it is not only the parents duty but
also the public's duty to prevent as
much Of this as possible; and since
30 per cent of it is preventable, those
afflicted with contagious disease
should remain at home and not eN-
pose their neighbors and their neigh
bors' families to 1t.
If you are a dependent upon pub
lie water, your city governmen,
should see that you are supplied with
a pure and wholesome quality and
water that will not endanger the
health and life Of your family. If you
are dependent upon q dairy for your
milk then your dairyman should see
that YOU are supplied with a clean
and wholesome and pure milk.
So in raising babies it is best that
the mother should nurse her baby.
The home should be well lighted, well
ventilated. the child should be in the
omen air as much as possible and
should not he permitted to come In
contact with contagious or infectious
diseases, no matter haw simple they
may be. All diseases leave their
mark.