South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-30
Dr.. BoSenbury Conducts Survey
Which Reveals High Mortal
ity Rate in Closely Populated
Southwestern District.

In one small district in South Bend
in the past eight months the Grim
Reaper has laid a heavy hand and has
gathered in his harvest more babies
and little children than in all the rest
OF the city put together almost twice
as many. This is but one of the in
teresting facts revealed by "a survey
made by DR.. Charles $ Bosenbury,
secretary OF the board Of health, IN
preparation for that portion of the
Disease Prevention day exhibit relat-
ing to infant mortality. He has pre-
pared a table OF statistics which Is
full of significance.
The total number of deaths of chill
iren under five vears of age between
Jan. / and Sept. %. 1914, is shown TO
be 12G, of which "A are boys and %
girls. Dividing the city into quarters
with Michigan ST. and Washington aV.
as boundaries. the deaths were ap-
1Ortioned as follows: Northeast quar-
-er nine; northwest quarter, Il;
southeast quarter, IA; River Park, A.;
-otal. A; southwest quarter as.
Need of Education.
THE figures speak for themselves
said DIR. Bosenbury, "Of the need Tor
a campaign OF education in the south
west portion of the city. a vast
ar4ount OF the infant mortality Is
oreVentable. Much OF il is due mere
IS To the ignorance of the parents re-
garding the simplest rules OF feeding,
clothing and ventilation.
AS the statistics show the major
ty of deaths are caused by diseases
IF the digestive system, the nervous
system or the respiratory system, all
IF which are in most cases directly
raceable 10 the ignorance cited
above.
Mothers have been accustomed 10
feeding their babies not only milk
,r.r-Tr- hrrf al
food which is bad for grOwnups to
say nothing of babies. They have
wen been known 10 give the children
Beer Neither is il uncommon TO find
a house closed tightly with not a
breath of fresh air coming in from
any place. This has been especially
rue i'm winter time, when some have
5een known actually 10 board up their
windows. Extra precautions have
leen taken against admitting air 20
sick rooms.
Fewer Deaths i'm other Sections.
THAT such conditions are direct
influences toward increasing the in
'ant mortality is apparent from the
marked reduction of the number OF
Deaths i'm the other portions OF the
.ity where knowledge Is more wide
spread and such conditions do not
sXist in Chaplin Park. Shetterly
place and Navarro place there has not
ueen a single infant death in eight
months. that is from Jan. 1 20 Sept
% OF this year. ON the entire length
IF Portage av., % blocks there has
not been a single infant death in that
lime.
Il am glad TO say that since the
-hildren's dispensary has been oper-
ating in the western portion of the
,ity, there has been marked improve
ment in health and sanitation and ac-
sOrdingly a reduction OF infant NOR
ality. q fact which merely goes 70
prove that the Children's dispensary
should receive sufficient support 90
enable IL 20 enlarge and spread It's
activities over a greater portion OF
he city and 20 work more adequate
IS in that district where il is most
needed. The work which it has done
.n its present small quarters is proof
sufficient that IL deserves encourage
nent and material support We hope
hat one OF the results OF Disease
Prevention day viii be material en-.
eouragement Of the work OF the Chill
iren's dispensary, for II is only
through such work that this needles.
baby waste car be vented
Map Shows Rate.
I'VE have prepared spot map o
the city. showing the districts il
Khicn the death rate exceeds the nor
nal and specifying causes. And al
show films along this line which We
nope viii aid MS In our campaign II
his respect"
Miss Olive Bailey, dispensary nurse