Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-12
COULD SAVE
20PERCENT
FOR $1,000
Employment of Two Nurses Would
Stop Fifth of Infant Deaths,
He Asserts.

DR.. j. P. Kennedy, head of the City
Health Department, interrupted the
even tenor of the way of the Council
Finance Committee Monday with the
remarkabel statement that if the com
mittee would provide $500 to add
two nurses to his department he
would save 20 per cent of the babies
who die every year in Atlanta.
Statistics of the Health Depart
ment, just completed Monday. show
that during 1913. 2sI white babies and
25S negro babies undsr.stee years of
age died This is a slight increase
over 1912. but the statistics set forth
that while 2,5O3 babies were born
in 1912, there were 1898 born in
1913.
Better Milk Saves Some.
In 1912. 2s5 whites and 247 negroes
died in infancy DR.. Kennedy claims
that improvement in the milk supply
and other health prompting measures
have decreased the proportion of
deaths
There were 2,15e white babies born
in 1913 and s07 negroes. Because of
the difficulty in getting births report
ed, DR.. Kennedy does not claim that
these figures are accurate.
The cause of the death of so MANY
babies is the ignorance of parents
and attendants at the time of birth
and lack Of knowledge of how to
feed them when they begin to grow"
DR.. Kennedy told the Finance Com
mittee.
Frequently among the poor classes,
especially the negroes, no physician is
called in at all, but midwives, acting
on the superstitions of the long ago,
administer the only help given.
Need Nurse instructors.
You all know of the strides medi-
cal science has made within recent
years in the care of babies. All over
the world efforts are being made to
safeguard the food supply and give
them the other attentions necessary.
We have been working in Atlanta TO
Improve the milk. the principal food
of ba bies, and to see that they get the
proper health and sanitary attentions.
Our department is handicapped in
this work. We need a childs welfare
department as an adjunct to the
health department. II we could en-
ploy two trained nurses to visit
home every time a birth Is reported
and show the people how to treat
their babies, We could save 20 per
cent of the infants who die in At
lanta every year"
After the first meeting Chairman
w. G. Humphrey, of the Financs
Committee, said that q conservative
estimate would place the amount of
money available for appropriations
over the maintenance Of departments
at about 100000.
Would Wait Until June,
Equally this much is expected from
ia fcNSHuty Dul Mayor
Woodward and Chairman Humphrey
do not want to appropriate this
money until June, when the amount
will be accurately known.
A schedule for public hearings was
arranged. The committee will meet
again Monday afternoon and practi-
cally all of Tuesday and Wednesday
will be devoted to hearings of requests
for appropriations.
The total amount OF money in the
tentative sheet prepared by Graham
West, chief clerk to Comptroller
Goldsmith, is s4,7oo,ooo
Mayor Woodward said that he per-
sonally would take up with the COM
mittee the settlement OF the s106, 900
fire alarm contract with the Konite
Company of New York. He said he
vas not yet ready to announce his
plan.