The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

might have grown to robust maturity.
When the public in informed that 80 per
cent of the babies born begin life prac-
tically we'll and healthy. regardless of
what has been their parents previous con-
dition of health, and yet one-fifth of the
babies born each year die from wholly
preventable intestinal troubles. it would
appear that the problem of conserving the,
infant life of the country has not stirred
the people any too soon. The cry of race
appalling sacrifice of infant life can be
appalling sacrifice of infant life can be
even partially curtailed.
The task of conserving the infant popu-
lation falls naturally upon the shoulders
of the mothers. In many cases these
mothers are necessarily unsl<lled and
must, therefore. feel their way in the
dark. An impression prevails somewhat
that a mother through the rearing of one
child becomes an expert, but as a mat
ter of fact the mother of many children
is frequently still an amateur and her
success entirely accidental. On the other
hand, the efforts of pediatries to devise a
sort of Hoyle book of rules, by which
any mother might scientifically raise a
child has not so far proved practical
In theory it is all right to establish a
schedule by which a mother may know
just what quantities of food to give her
child at prescribed times. and to show
how the child should. on this schedule,
grow in weight, in height and in girth
But very much depends on the child
and the child is continually refusing to
fulfill its part of the ex parte UNDER
standing. Finally, the old-fa shioned
family medicine book, so religiously con-
suited by some mothers is rather a guide
to be used in cases of emergency than
means of avoiding the need for emer-
gency guidance.
Mrs. Noyes is the mother of boy who
during the first four years of his life
has not had a serious sickness and who
has proved a source of unusual interest
to members of the medical profession
The author is a college-bred woman she
brought to her duties of wife and mother
the benefit of her college training and
in the first days of her motherhood de
terl1ined that the chief task of mother
was to keep her baby so well that the
little one could not get sick. With the
problem of how to keep her baby well
confronting her she gradually evolved
the doctrine that what will keep a baby
well is the treatment for that baby"
She then set about tabulating a paby's
symptoms of being we'll. On the ground
that these signs meant health, the moth
er concluded that their absence indicat-
ed, If not actual sickness, then at least
reduction of the ability to fight sick
ness. The instant a danger sign ap-
peared in the absence of any symptom
or health, the mother went after the
source of the trouble A detailed record
was Kept of the child's life; charts We're
carefully compiled; conclusions were
reached with the assistance of the moth
err friends in the medical profession,
and wonderful series of photographs
We're made showing the subject in every
stage OF physical and mental develop
ment This material makes up the book.
How | Kept My Baby Well.f The book
does not profess to be a guide for the
scientific rearing of children While of
Vaiue for reference purposes, it is not
medical guide that will help a mother
dispense with the services of a doctor
But with its narrative, it's charts, its
Illustrations and it's exhaustive indices
IL VIII bring to the most experienced
mother something suggestive in the mat
ter of collaborating, while it will save
from many bunder the women who
is Just meeting the first problems cf
motherhood.