Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-03-10

l NSttA tNl-tA'l ] Ittil SOtliR tl Iilh QiSJFGSS- l ing. SEaPtoms of her condition. She told him thaL . midWifa was eneag. i et' to attend her. He advised her 1 h4S1and aad siste1 that she WAS ill a l 7el@us condition and needed inmed. !. 4&te Ieatment. HoMevnt ha was not
 cal! d a%st,n and knew nothing more of the ease until the death certifi- care CT the mother was presented to
 him for signature. A midwife had
 2. eelG7d her and she died quit necd- :; ieS>lJ from the effrct, Of tue kjdaev at ecnon. fiis #as most surely an
 arola&45le dessth. It should be noted
 m nHasine that, in the two last h. ,ta.e 's described one death cartE- lc&t2 Na% made out only. tisal for tlt
 mother, and no record was made of
 the baby's birth or death.
 Another history shows that : baby
 six weeks ef age Gied of pneumonia
 follo@il~ measles, with practically
 no attention at aIl. .fWenty-foaf hours
 before the batv's death, a physician
 was called. al5heu@h the illness had
 developed 9 week before At this
 time dstth was imminent and fol~
 lowed Vitain few hours Here t32se
 mothers 5otal lack of tho apprecia
 ticn ot the serious nature of tbe con-
 dition 9as directly FesponSibla for this inayrusable neglect. Case after ease shows thc Woofdl 1
 ignorance under which these babies i! Were born and died 1lrouphout, the 1 igHofa}fee eff motherhood stands oGt | pre 2aihentiN as predisposing and 1 contlibutory factor, and this ccndit- ! ion l. one for which the community i must a@sNne sponsibility. Certain lN the function of motherhood s worthy of every effort directed at im-
 provcme3t- W" see repeatedly, in this most important of all human oc- cunatiops, the faightful result of Whole'y ln&killed workmanship. Sure iE, nc comm arcia' enterprise could 5n suc2essf4llv conducted upon such q Wastefa1 plan.
 Hsoist rac Delineuzent
 We have al"eaGv referred to tho i4accgracy in res0istration and cc1- affection Of deaths We ;ore inform d that thu undeltakefs had consia erabla difficulty in securing permits owing to the absence of the regis tlal fEor7 his office. IL has also been customary for tbe maid in the reo- istra1's office 1o write these burial permits and this practice has doubt less been responsible for great deal of the poor certification. When a death certificate is presented by an the registFar should oh ack up all entries and, where incon1pjete or indefinite Information is supnliod, the necessary corrections should be required. in this way, may correcsf eertification he secured
 We are informed that tho original record ef death is sent to tho state and tho local copy being frequently made by 8 colored office maid. the dates are often so confus- ed that, if the Investigator refused to assume anything or make any de ductlons from the evidence at hand, sha would have to believe that 8 baby died several months before it was born and was also several months old when 1t died. Not nfrequently the only clue to the color of child is the fact that eelored undertaken buried it.
 Where the term "no doctor" occurs on 9 certificate. it means that the called upon the registrar f for a burial permit for a baby who ( had died without medical attention It has been very difficult to secure z any additional information from eitll- , CT the family or the attending phy , sician. No inouests were held or ( coroner's verdicts rendered. One ' colored mother said, when pressed for f some statement as to the probable ' cause of her baby's death Claw, I Miss. you know how easy it is for babies to die, don't you?' It seems ; indeed quite easy for Bne Bluff , babies to die, and one might add, ( quite difficult for them to be born, if q one judges only by the number of re"istered births.
 Altogether, the status of vital sta tistics in Pine Bluff seems to be in a most chaotic state, and it is very de- srable that some registrar be appoint ( ed, who can always be found in bis office and that this registrar assume these records the information requir- ed by law.
 We understand that there are in Pine Bluff no clinics for mothers or babies, no mothers conferences, and no agency available for carrying in- { to the homes instruction in baby care { and hygiene. One visiting nurse is { employed jointly by the Associated { Charities and the city, but. for the { most part her work consists of bed side nursing. That there is need for { all of the above activities is all too { evident from what has gone before.
 Clinic is Needed.
 With the problem as we see it, it would seem highly advisable to es- tablish clinic or health center to < which both parental cases and moth < ars with young babies can go for in- < struction, examination and medical attention, when required. Probably \ one such center would be sufficient for the present needs of the city. On certain days and at certain hours, < there should be in attendance nurses ( and physicians and, when required. ( expert consultation should be avail ( able. The quarters should include Na;tin groom space equipment for the