The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-05-22
vE MIST ON INTELLIGENCE. NOT MOTHER INSTINCT IN
W - RAISING CHILDREN SAYS MISS EATHRoP.

WE MUST Rely, ON INTEL lNTELL !s
why does death claim 100000 babies
every year in this country?
Three hundred thousand which
means approximately one BABY on.
OF every eight brought into the world
All these babies. hundreds OF tnous,
ands of them, die under one year q
age, their little lives snuffed out az
most before they have begun.
Its butchery-simply butchery;
What those mothers go through-and
then to have their babies die!9 said
one woman recently.
cts the cruellest, the most sense.
less waste aside from sheer warfare,
said Miss Julia c. Lathrop, chief OF
the Children's Bureau of the United
States Department of Labor at wash
ington. Eat least half of these babies
would now. be living had we as In:
dividuals and communities applied
those measures OF hygiene and SAM
tatfon which are known and available.
Here Is vast and unmeasured loss
OF infant life due soley to individual
and civic neglect.
"It was once thought that high
infant death rate indicated a greater
degree of vigor in the survivors-that
the rate Of mortality among children
who had not reached the first ami.
versary OF their birth was wise dis.
pensation of nature intended to pre-
vent children with weak constitutions
from becoming too plentiful. Now 1t
is agreed that the conditions which
destroy SO many of the youngest
lives OF the community must also re-
suit in Gripping and manning many
others, and must react unfavorably
upon the health Of the entire com
munity.
"since the beginning of civilization
the scientific care Of children has been
neglected. Much energy has been ex'
pended on pig culture and cabbage
culture, but child culture has been left
to an instinct unsupplemented by
scientific training and careful thought
Intelligence supersedes Mother
Instinct.
motherhood is the one pursuit
very complicated, very demanding
upon which we have presumed en-
tirely too much. relying upon the
\ mother instinct instead of bringing In
Intelligence to bear in the raising OF
children. This tends to explain the
death OF many children. the Ill health
of more, and the disruption of house
holds.
English statistician, has said that
infant mortality is the most sensitive
index we possess of social welfare. II
babies were well born and well cared
for their mortality would be negligt
ble.h" ~,
/ Therefore, because OF this great and
unnecessary slaughtering ..of the limo
Ecents; tile. bureau chnse for the first
ifeId inquiry the, subject of infant
mortality, its work, as it is, restricted
Ito Investigating and reporting upon
all matters pertaining to the welfare
of children and child life" Thus the
bureau is a center of information, use
full, to all the children of America, to
ascertain and to popularize Just stand
| ards for their life and development
1.-THE bureau has no power to do ad'
ministrative work, nor can 1t make
regulations concerning children or
createi institutions for them.
l"But does not this lack OF power
lcurb the effectiveness, of the bureau?'
1.-the chief was asked. SIS it not handi'
capped in being unable to effect GER
tain remedies that it surely must com
prehend better than any individual
philanthropy"
Bureau Relies on Community
Conscience.
Miss Lathrop smiled. Look al
Johnstown," was her quiet comment
And while her secretary went II
search of records of "Johnstown be
fore and after" she went on to explain
that II the government can "investi
gate and report" upon infant mortality
the conscience and power of local com
munities can be depended upon fol
necessary action.
!. Frequently they do not see the con
ditions that exist around them. The
bureau is undertaking to point ou
these conditions. The rest may be
left to them. for II people understand
their situation they will never tolerate
a bad one"
/. Miss Lathrop picked up recently
completed pamphlet on infant NOR
tally prepared by Miss Emma Duke
OF the bureau, one of the women in
who made field study o
the infant mortality, conditions II
Johnstown, Pa.
1.-THE report shows coincidence o
underpaid fathers, overworked and ig
norant mothers, and those hazards t.
the life of the offspring which indi
yidual parents cannot avoid or con
troll because they must be remediet
4 by community action. All this points
Z toward the imperative need OF ascer
tanning a standard Of life for thu
American family, standard which
must rest upon such betterment %
] conditions of work and pay as viii
permit parents to safeguard infants
within the household.