New-York tribune., 1916-07-12
Children of Tenements
Heaviest Sufferers
from Paralysis.
FUND OF TRIBUNE
SOLVING PROBLEM
10000 Boys, Girls and Babies
Would Be Benefited by
Healthful Outings.

heres a trlte edltorlal WHICH mas
strayed into the news columns Of The
Tribune.
An ounce OF prevention is worth a
pound Of cure.
During the twenty-four hours end
ing at 10 o clock yesterday 1875 babies
fell sick of infantile paralysis in New
York, and thirty-two others died Of
the same disease. This is the worst
chapter yet written in the history of
this epidemic.
Where did these pitiful little victims
few cases, in the congested tenement
districts Of the city.
When an epidemic strikes a great
city, this is always the case. When
dread disease leaves trail Of death
and blighted lives behind it in a COM
munity it is always through the dwell.
ings Of the poor that the signs of its
passage are plainest and most plentiful
City Hard at Work
In the present case the city is hard
at work pouring out its pounds Of cure
in the tenement districts, in an effort
10 stay the progress of the scourge
that is upon il. But two monitor
even one month-ago very few prsons
were intent on providing the ounces of
prevention which would have made
highly improbable the rise of the epl-
deinic now so strongly raging.
Proper sanitary surroundings, good
food and plenty Of fresh air for the
babies of the city a month ago would
probably have negatiyed the assaults OF
disease germs which are now blotting
out the lives and deforming the bodies
of the tenement children of the city.
II is the recognized duty OF the citl-
zens and public officials Of New York
10 compel the inhabitants Of the con-
gestcd quarters TO maintain sanitary
conditions in their homes and streets.
Evidently both the citizens and the offl-
cials have been more or less lax in pro-
viding this ounce Of prevention for
epidcmics up TO this time.
The world has not yet wagged on,
however, to the point where citizens
and their governments consider 1T their
duty to provide fresh air and good food
for the city's boys and girls.
Resistance Not There.
Yet these are the ounces of preven-
ton which would have done more than
ANYTHING else to make impossible the
present epidemic by giving TO the
babies the resisting power that would
have enabled their bodies TO fight OF
successfully the attacks of the germs
of infantie paralysis. An extra few
ounces of rich, red blood in the body oil
each of the little victims of the scourge
would have multiplied many times Its
chanceI of escape. But the resistance
was not there and the germs won OUT:
Fresh air and good food for the chill
cren OF the tenements are the prevent
ives of disease which The Tribune
Fresh Air Fund and other organiza-
tions like it, have been trying for years
TO supply 10 the babies, the boys and
girls of the tenement quarters of the
city. In some way these things ought
to be supplied throughout the year, but
since they are not and cannot be under
present conditions, The Tribune fund
endeavors TO meet the situation as far
as possible by giving thousands OF chill
dren at least two weeks Of them every
summer
Will you help the fund carry on this
work this summer? The work is sup
ported entirely by voluntary contrlbu-
tions. Fiye dollars provides fort
night in the country for boy or
girl. The Tribune fund knows OF
26.000 of them that need such outings
This epidemic is proof OF the need
of The Tribune fund and its work.
CONTRIBUTIONS To THE TRIBUNE FRESH
AIR FUND.