The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-25
ALL BABIES ARE NOW.
SURE Of PARENTS
CHICAGO HOSPITAL ASSURES MO-
THEIRS OF THEIR OWN; MAKE
STUDY OF LINES.

| Chicago, Ill, Oct. 25.-Every little
baby who first sees this strange new
world of every day in Chicago Lying
In hospital, Vincennes avenue and Fif-
tieth street, may feel safe that he will
always be known as himeslf and no
other. Though he be twin, or triplet
even, he need never fear confusion Of
identity. In the first hour of his life
he marks scientifically definite foot
print on the sands of time.
The Chicago Lying-In hospital has
always taken unusual precautions
against error in handling babies in
the nursery and against possible sub
tstitution of one child for another. Ev-
cry mother there knows that from the
moment of birth her baby is marked
by tape tied on the wrist bearing the
same number which she wears SINH
larly. She is also assured that her
child has his name written in full on
piece of adhesive plaster fastened on
his back.
Mother Has Triple Proof.
Now she has the additional assur-
ance of the record of his footprints
made directly after birth and placed
on file in the books of the hospital
She may look with peace in her heart
at the tiny face on her arm, knowing
with triple certainty that she has her
own baby there.
So much for the mother side Of the
innovation. Science puts in an inter-
lesting claim. Miss. Jessie Christie, SUI
Iperintendent of nurses in the hospital,
land Miss Mabel Carmon, chief nurse
| of the birth-room, regard this new
method of identification as a perma-
nent record of value from scientific
standpoint. Every child is born with
certain lines on the skin of his fingers
and the soles of his feet, and these
never change. Though fingers and
feet grow in size, the lines grow with
them, and the pattern remains true to
it's first form.
How Prints Are Taken.
The method used in making the inn
prints is the simplest possible. The
nurse in charge takes the infants tiny
foot in her hand and presses it against
an ink pad, taking care that the pres
sure is evenly applied, and yet not
strong enough to fill with ink the tiny
lines. Then she presses the inky foot
against a piece of paper of moderate
gloss. This paper withdrawn, bears
the signature of new personality. No
other footprint in the world is just the
same. Nature, mother of variety, has
given the world a new individual, and
one who can make his mark charac-
teristically.
Already the Chicago Lying-In hos
pital has in it's records enough foot
prints to make comparisons and some
deductions. 1t intends to secure later
imprints when the little feet are
larger, and mothers interested have
eagerly agreed to cooperate in this
interesting research. Comparing i'm
prints of the same tiny foot taken two
weeks apart, one observes exactly the
same lines, though the outlines of the
foot are larger.
Urged by Martinek.
The true value of this permanent
record was pointed out a few days
since by Frank F. Martinek, the finger
print expert of the civil service COM
| mission
1t is well known that Sir Francis
Galton, the great. authority in, this
branch of learning. showed an an
thropological evidence that similarity
of pattern in finger prints is transmit
4 ted from parent to child. And thou
sands of years ago thumb prints were
used in China as family Identification
marks, and every family had its col
lection of thumb prints much as today
we have our groups of family photo
graphs. In TIE course Of the new
study foot prints may assume equal
great significance.
1 Who will rise to rewrite Mark
Twain's baby story in "Puddnhead
Wilson, the tale of the two babes
of Dawson's Landing who couldn't be