Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-09
by Woods Hutchinson, A. NJ, NJ. D.

Most OF our ideas about babies are al
most as infantile as their subject. II It
wasn't for the fact that babies know
more about themselves than we do. half
OF them would never grow up.
Just because babies are tiny and pink
and fragile looking-and, indeed they
break very easily II you drop them-we
imagine that Il is as natural for them
to sicken and die as for flowers TO fade.
and remark. The Lord gave and the
Lord hath taken away" or other idiotic
drivei OF that description, over every tiny
coffin. e.
Forgetting that flowers fade only be-
cause the purpose for which they bloomed
has been accomplished. while babies come
10 the world loaded for fifty years. and
II they fail to accomplish that destiny, II
Is usually our fault. either as individuals
or as a community.
All they need Is a fair field and no
handicaps. and they win finish the course
seven times out of ten. Yet we will listen
with complacency to the self-confident
claim OF the mother OF Israel. that she
knows all about babies, MORN any
doctor. cause she's had ten of them her.
self and buried six
New Zealand. for instance. as has al
ready been mentioned. has brought down
the death rate for its entire population
of over three-quarters OF q million to
one-third OF the general average. and
Canada and some of our Pacific coast
states do not fall very far behind.
In fact, we have had practical demon
stration OF the feasibility Of this life
saving under our very eyes right in New
York City itself. Some three years ago
the children's bureau of the Association
for Improving the Condition Of the Poor
decided to make test Of the actual In
fluence Of flies upon the prevalence Of
children's diseases in summer.
For this purpose. they selected two
neighborhoods OF the same size and pop
ulation, occupied principally by a for
e'gn-bcrn population. which were as
nearly as possible identical in housing,
unitary conditions and average income.
One of these was placed Ia charge Of a
corps OF nurses and physicians. and made
the subject OF thorough and persistent
anu-fiy and anti-dirt campaign, teach
ing the mothers, working with the
fathers of the families. supplying mos
quito bars for the windows OF those who
were too poor to pay for them, and fur
mining II at cost to the others. Every
baby in the district was visited by A
nurse at least once every week, who en-
deavored to gain the confidence of the
mother and teach her how to care for
and protect the safety Of her family in
every way. The result was a distinct sur.
prise to even the enthusiasts who had
tnaugurated the campaign.
~
what are usually regarded as fIy-borne
diseases cut down nearly one-half, and
the death rate two-thirds, but the gen
eral death rate and disease rate Of both
infants and children from all causes
was reduced far below the level OF that
OF the adjoining neighborhoods. and, in
deed. OF the average OF the entire city.
including the upper residential and the
suburban districts.
Even more striking and conclusive were
the results Of somewhat similar cam
paign, or group OF neighborhood cam
paigns, carried out by the health depart
ment at the suggestion Of DR.. Goldwater
during the last summer, report of which
has just been made.
Partly to see what could be done to-
ward saving children's lives by a thor
<Sough and adequate house to house visit
ing and follow-up campaign Of nurses
inspectors and doctors, and partly for
the purpose of inaugurating the neigh.
borhood idea in health work: that Is, q
series OF small districts, each OF which
should have its central health office with
small staff of nurses and inspectors, a
number OF districts were selected scat.
tered all over the city.
In each district was placed a corps o
nurses Of sufficient size to insure eacl
family containing young children visit
every week. with a supervising physician
or physicians, and a sufficient humble
OF health inspectors to promptly tax,
steps to remedy any sanitary nuisance
discovered.
Little or no milk or ice or food sup
plies OF any description was given ava,
or distributed, but the local milk deal
ers and food stores were given unusuaIl
rigorous and thorough supervision, an
parents were told where they could se
cure pure milk and clean food at reason
able prices.
II was simply a matter of endeavorin
to raise the intelligence OF mothers an
fathers and awaken the conscience an
enlist all the forces OF the communit
for the protection OF the health OF Il
children.
The results are gratifying as they ar
striking. Although the general health G
H~-rew York City is good and its averas
infant mortality below that OF mos
metropolitan centers. the districts give
this intensive hygienic cultivation wer
cut down IN a single season to somethin
over = third OF the general average 0
child mortality
Regions on the lower East Side and {
the crowded new slums OF the uppe
West Side actually saved nearly twic
as many OF their babies as did weil-t'
do suburban districts In Harlem an
Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Here Is way TO check race suicid
which nobody can take exception u