Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-16
SEGER'S WARD LEADS
CITY IN SLAUGHTER
OF THE RNOCENTS
Infant Mortality in Section
Ruled by Chief Foe of
Sanitary Housing, Close
ly Followed by John P.
Connelly's.

one Of every 1--WE babies born In the 9TH
ward, politically controlled by Select
Councilman Charles seger died during
1914 before 4 was one year oid, al ne ss
for every 1000 born alive. It 10 the high
est rate for any ward in the city, almost
double the rate for the city as a whole
and greater BY far than the baby death
rate in any city Of the entire country.
seeer. who represents the ward where
babies die in abnormal ratios, was an
inplaeable foe Of the 1913 housing bill
that would have saved the lives OF
babies BY improving living conditions.
He ls chairman OF Councils Subcommit-
tee OF Appropriations that is withhold
ing appropriations necessary to employ
20 city nurses to night infant mortality
during the present heated season
In the nth Ward. OF John p. Connolly.
chairman OF Councils Finance Commit
tee, i3 out Of every 100 babies died within
one year -of birth in 1913. The ilth Ward
babys deRth rate was 1903 for every lOOO
births, a rate higher than for the city as
a whole.
Connolly was ON energetic opponent Of
better housing. and with Seger is with
holding the appropriations for the child
hygiene division.
Meanwhile intestinal ailments are de-
stroying large numbers OF babies OF the
citv during the present hot weather.
Philadelphia allowed 1891 babies to die
during 1914 before they were / year old.
Most of them died from diarrhea and
enteritis. pneumonia and other prevent
able causes.
The grossly high infant death rate of
Philadelphia. 1913 for every 1000 babies
born alive, is exceeded by only two other |
cities In the entire country. Baltimore's
baby death rate in 1914 was 1916; Chi |
caso's was 1921
Those are the reasons why Director |
~ he ~
and Charities is diverting funds for baoy |
welfare TO the employment OF 10 addi- |
tional city nurses in the Child Hygiene |
Division TO increase the corps of nurses
to 80 during the summer months.
Why Councils stubbornly refused to |
appropriate only $4,000 for increasing the
permanent corps OF city nurses to 10 and
form an efficient working force TO com
bat infant mortality remains unexplained
Miss Neva Dearborn. the present chief
of the municipal division of vital statis-
tics. has revolutlonlzed the former gloomy
dust-filled office of antique methods in
City Hall to one Of efficiency and modern
procedure. Her appointment as State
Registrar to continue her present duties
by Dr. Samuel G. Dixon, State Health
Commissioner, under law passed by the
last Legislature, is regarded as a matter
Of grave doubt. II is believed n man will
he named TO succeed her.
FIGURES TELL STORY OF NEGLECT.
Miss Deardorf's records show that of
the 1891 babies that died under / year in
1918. there were 36H that did not even at
tain the age OF s months. Most OF them
died from diarrhea. Eleven hundred and
Twenty-Five babies died within the first
week Of birth: $50 between the age of l
week and | month; $50 between / and 3
months; $50 between 3 and months Be-
tween the ages of and 70 months 1897
babies died
PreventHble causes killed 1905 Of the
babies that lived over six months One |
hundred and twenty-three died from cpl
temic .dseases-as whooping cough. |
,.leRsles and other ailments that rigid !
quarantine conditions and care could
have prevented to great degree, Pneu- ]
monia killed 81 and diarrhea and ente-
ritis killed 572.
OF the il25 babies that died within one
week Of birth, 946 succumbed TO malfor-
nation and similar afflictions OF early (
infancy. The suggestion has consequently
been made that prenatal registrations be
made TO the division of child hygiene
Ihat the city nurses may advise pros
peetive mothers and take prompt care ,
Of the child following birth.
Among the baby diseases pneumonia
reaches n maximum degree of deadliness J
At about the lst OF March For the week
ending March g. 1914, 43 babies died from I
that disease. The minimum number of L
deaths for babies for any
single week was for the period ending
July H. when only three deaths from
hat cause were reported.
Dtarrhea and enterlts as a baby dis
ase reached its apex, Of deadliness in
he week ending July 81, 1914 when l23
leaths we're reported OF babies under one
ear The lowest number from that cause
vas four, In the week ending April 3,
914
Diarrhea caused l474 of the deaths OF C
ahies In 1914, and OF that number 956 Ct
led during the months from June to Sep
emher, inclusive. L,
Babies of Slavish peoples have the low n
81 death rate for any nationality in the n
lty- This Is attributed TO unusual sturdi- n
ess, as well as TO the fact that statistics 3,
how that mothers of Slavish babies are ! ~
lore matured in years and bear more "a
hildren during the child-bearing period.
PERCENTAGE BY NATIoNALITY. g,
For the city as whole the infant NOR II,
llity rates, based on the nativity OF
lothers. Is as follows: a.,