Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-13

W NJ loN, u. -, MAY L.
Washington is just At tho cud OF a
Bnhy Week. From the 9Th to the 18th
OF May the national capital has been
turned over To the National Fedora
tion OF Women's clubs for its better
babies exhibit and propaganda. One
OF tho most important features OF the
weeks program il the exhibit and con-
fererccs OF the Washington Diet
Kitchen Association, which has worked
so Vigorously during the past few
years 10 cut down the infant mortality
OF the District OF Columbia
The whole nation has recently be-
come aroused 10 the need for taking
better care OF its babies The Chill
drens Bureau, which has conducted
exhaustive researches on the subject
Of infant mortality and investigated
the problems OF several representative
communities. last year opened AN In
FAINT Welfare station at the Panama
Pacific Exposition. where large audi
cnccs were lccturcd on the proper care
and feeding OF babies many OF whom
were examined and treated on tho plat
form. In New York CITY pamphlets
the care OF infants have been dis
trihutcd in seven different languages
in an effort 10 reach every mother who
might possibly save tie life OF her
baby with the aid Of a littic knowledge
and advice. III Louisiana and Texas.
exhibition cars are sent into the rIraI
districts. whcr" practical dcmonstra-
tons are given to instruct the mothers
how best Ia care for their infants.
Here the Washington Dict Kitchen As
ISOLATION las opened hve infant vel
fare stations to act in the nature OF
training schools for mothers
The Washington Diet Kitchen .Neso-
citation was first established in 1896 by
woman philanthropisi. for the pur-
pose of supplying milk and other
,rtS !, co, tt,n iyty
cicty grew but slowly. and in 1901 con-
sidcred dissolving entirely, owing TO
the lack OF finances with which to
meet administration expenses But at
this juncturc the Visiting Nurses So
cicty Of Washington came TO the
rescue. Offering its services in the dis
trbution OF broth. milk and eggs TO
the poor ON It's visiting list Subsc-
uucntly, upon the rccomm cnda ton Of
the health department.. the distribution
az broth and eggs was discontinued.
and only milk was delivered free in
1905 tho first milk stations were estab-
liShed By the association az EHlghbor-
hood House and Noel IIoUse--sociaI
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES later another
at ST. Marys Chapel.
instruction SOreIy Needed.
II soon became apparent. however,
that .he need for free milk was rcla-
lively unimportant as compared To the
ing for the business Of motherhood.
In the poorest districts the majority
of the babies were fed on human milk,
and In other cases the families were
able to pay for good. clean milk. The
association also realized that If they
were to lie successful at all they must
do all OF their work themselves, en-
pioyinG special agents for the purpose
and not depending absolutely on the
Visiting NurSes'S Society a medium
of distribution. AS result, a large
charity entertainment was given at
the residence of a Washington society
woman, the proceeds from which were
turned over to the association and used
to establish headquarters for the first
infant welfare station.
This was in 1914. The experiment
was at once a success, ana o-day there
are five Of these infant welfare sta.
lions in the poorer districts of the city
with a staff Of twenty-eight volunteer
physicians. n superintendent and eight
nurses. Each station has one large
well-lishted. well-ventilated room.
equipped with plain, white furniture
that would he within the income of al
most any home. In one corner there
Is n white screen on which is hung the
model baby outfit, including small
wooden shirt and band, flannel petit
coat Il white petticoat-not insisted
upon--and r. white dress made OF long
cloth or rainsook. The garments are
fastened with strings on the shoulders
so that there will he no tight bands
around the baby's waist to give him In
digestion or interfere with the cXpan-
sion of his lungs. Here the mothers
roregathcr and have their conferences
learning tie principles Of hygiene aud
home sanitation.
On back of this room is a small kit
chen where the babies are brought af-
ter they are weighed and examined by
the physician, who advises he mother
as to the babys health and, IL neces.
sary, prescribes a formula for arti-
fetal feeding. The nurse in charge
then takes the mother over to the gas
stove I'm another part Of the room and
shows her how to prepare the milk
with materials kept for that purpose by
the Kitchen.
Not For Sick HnbieS.
The dict Kitchen is not. primarily,
for sick babi:s. although IL handles
many cases rr:ulting from malnutri-
ton. If the Infant has any serious
trouble, tho mother Is glvan q card to
dlspensary or 4 hospital It Ia O..