Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-10-22
SCHOOLS CUT
DOWN MORTALITY
Marked Decrease in Death
Among Children Since Mo-
theirs Accepted Guidance.
INTERESTING RESULTS SHOWN
Backbone of Prejudice Broken as Par.
ents Learn How to Properly
Care for Babies.

London.-lnfant mortality in Eng
land has decreased to a gratifying ex.
tent since the establishment of schools
for mothers. 1t is, perhaps, not fair
to other influences to state that these
schools are entirely responsible for
the Improvement 1t is certain, how.
ever, that their share has been no in.
considerable one.
Most of the direct and indirect in.
f1uences, such as improved sanitation.
better housing, and greater prosperity,
had full opportunity of proving their
worth in this connection during that
period of unexampled reformation
which extended from the middle to the
close of the last century. The death
rate among adults continuing to fall
during this period in a way that falsi-
fed the preconceptions of statisticians
Nevertheless the death rate of infants
under l year of age remained at ex-
actly the same figure during the last
four years of the Nineteenth Century
as it did between 1861 and 1865. name
ly, 155 per 1000 births.
The infantile death rate has steadily
declined during the last fourteen years
to the comparatively satisfactory one
of about 95 in England. In London
itself 1t has declined to 81. These
striking results must clearly be due
to some new influence not ia operation
before 1900.
This decline in the death rate coin
cides with the very rapid development
in England methods of teaching mo-
thercraft to the poorer classes.
The movement began in quite q
small way with the establishment Of
health societies in various parts of the
country, mainly In the North. Most
of these health societies inculede in
their programme some system Of
house-to-house visiting by health work
ers, who gave poor mothers instruc-
tions In the details of infant manage
ment.
Marybone. the first infant consulta-
tion to which mothers could bring their
infants for expert medical supervision
and examination. was founded in 1906.
This consultation. working in conjunc-
ton with a fully equipped health 30
ciety and in closer association with
the Public Health Department. per-
formed such splendid services, not
only in instructing the mothers in the
essentials of mothercraft, but also In
educating large staff of highly ef-
ficient health workers. that the move
ment rapidly extended throughout The
country.
Following this. number of socL
eties. some calling themselves "scuools
for mothers" some infant societies"
and ohters welfare centers," were
opened In the st. Pancras, Stepney.
Reading. Birmingham and elsewhere.
The existing societies were federat-
ed In 1909. under the aegis of the Gen.
trail Society of Infant Consultations,
known later as the Association of In
FAINT Consultations and Schools for
Mothers. This Central Association,
which Is an Independent department
of the National League for Physical
Education and improvement, has now
more than 200 local branches. Its
work Ia mainly concerned In the pro
motion of new branches, In the col
lection of statistics and In the propa-
ganda work. 1t organizes mothercrart