The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-05-02

popuidSiOAs Is do II 1IiIdSO, tAt scc-
ond city of the United States, were
to be wiped out of existence every
ten years, not a single life being saw
ed. 1t means the humiliation, each
decade, of population as large as
that of the state OF New Jersey. To
state the same fact differently, the
deaths of infants under one year in
this countryaduring 1913 was nearly
equal to the combined population of
Montana, Utah and Nevada. 1t is
plain that such a study, based on
the records OF birth, is absolutely
democratic. Every child born with
in a given year in the community is
of equal interest. To learn how the
children life in the. most luxurious
homes is as important to the truth of
the inquiry as to find out how they
survive under the pinch of poverty
In the case of each child, the bureau
seeks to learn the social and civic
surroundings of the family and to
obtain picture of that family's life.
Granting that means are made
quate for the support of the family,
and that the mother is good and
competent woman, are the civic sur
rounding such that she can protect
her children? Is the milk supply on
which she is depending pure?
Is the mother SO situated as to be
able to provide sweet and clean
water for her family? Does the city
make the whole supply safe, or does
the individual householder buy wa
ter for drinking, or buy expensive
bottled waters?
Does the city disinfect houses in
which there have been cases of con-
tageous disease? What sort of care
does it take of the garbage? Does
it encourage or discourage breeding
places for flies? In short, what pro-
lection in civic cleanliness does the
municipality offer to the children
whom the mother is trying to bring
up.
What chance have the children to
play? What means does the city pro-
vide for recreation? How safe are
the streets for. the boys and girls of
poor families who know no other
Playground
The mere fact that the government
is interesting itself in a study of
children's welfare, looking to i'm
provement of conditions, seems to
start people doing for themselves
helpful things along these lines.
The Importance of Registration
In the small city where the first
field study" has been in progress
the municipal authorities heartily
welcomed the government inquiry.
Already they have undertaken to i'm
prove arrangements for the disposal
bureau to make a study of the local
milk supply. volunteer societies are
sending a visiting nurse into the
poorer quarters to seek out babies
and mothers who need help. There
are plenty of other evidence that the
authorities and the women of the
city are eager to cooperate. in prac-
teal ways.
The term Infant mortality is
understood to cover all deaths occur
ring under the age of one year. Of
all babies who die during that peri
cd; thirty per cent. die in the first
month. If the waste of infant life
is to be diminished, doctors and
nurses must get into touch with the
earliest possible moment after birth.
Nothing, it is said, has done so much
toward lesening infant motality in
England as law, now rigidly en-
forced in that country which requir-
es the registration of all births
within thirty-six hours.
Unfortunately we have in the
United States no adequate laws to
cover the entire country, compelling
the registration of births. In only
eight of the states-the New Eng
land states. Pennsylvania and Michi-
gan-are birth records kept in
such a way as to meet the require
ments Of the census bureau, and
even in those states not all OF the
births are registered.
No immigrant can enter this coun-
try without the making OF a record
of his or her sex, age and, national
ity; but the nation keeps no books
to show how many children enter the
United States by birth. Nobody
knows how many babies are born in
the United States. of where they are
born. The Importance of putting