Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-16
HOSPITAL SAVES
LIVES OF BABIES
Most Important Conserva.
ton Carried on at Liam.
erch Institution
CROWDED TO CAPACITY
Hundred and Seventeen Cured
Since June 5-Fifty.fve
Now Cared For


vegetables and fruits they conserved by
canning this summer, Of the wheat and
sugar and woolen goods conserved for
the benefit of the country a group of
busy Philadelphians has quietly gone
about its work of saving human lives for
Uncle Sam.
In the Babies Summer Hospital on
Manoa road, Llanerch, III babies under
three years Of age have been cured of
various ailments since June 5. The four
screened-in houses with the spotless hos
pital beds are now filled to capacity with
fifty-fve little sufferers. receiving scien-
tifc treatment as we'll as the tender
and motherly care Of efficient physicians,
nurses and assistants
Last year. in Philadelphia, out Of
every 1000 babies born alive, 107 died
before reaching one year of age.
Since the most physically fit potential
fathers are being drafted into the army
there will be a constant decrease in
the birth rate" declared Miss Rena p
Fox, superintendent Of the Babies Hos
pital of Philadelphia, thence it IL our
| duty to save all the little lives we can.
save 100000 more baby lives in the
United States than were saved last year.
Philadelphia's share is 1928 more than
| were saved last year, and the Babies
| Hospital Is trying to do its bit in helping
conserve this most important of national
| resources
| No Room For Two
Race. creed or degree of poverty play
| no part in the eligibility Of babies for the
hospital 1t Is free to the babies who
need attention. and the sicker the in
fant the more readily Is it taken. Miss
Fox denied entrance to two yesterday
for the first time.
1T nearly broke my heart" she ex-
planned 'If the emergency had been
great enough l should have been tempted
to make room somehow. Every bed is
| taken and none of the babies is ready
for dismissal. Then. too, we are short
of nurses. Yo.: have heard the calls
for nurses probably, but you can't
imagine how desperately they are need
ed"
From the four summer cottages with
their awnings and screened sides came
n chorus of walls Some of them are
crying all the time" admitted Miss Fox,
but, considering there are ffty-five
think they are remarkably good?"
1t is an ideal spot for n baby camp.
though the visitor always wishes all
the little ones might be playing In the
shade Of the mammoth old trees. The
very sickest ones are kept in the tiny
immaculate beds, but the minute they
are able to 20 they are taken out of
doors to be mothered and cuddled by
loving hands. Sometimes women from
Philadelphia or Llanerch give n few
hours of their day to the babies
Appreciate Volunteer.
"It keeps our nursing force busy over
time to give the necessary attention to
the infants" said the superint endent,
land we certainly appreciate the rolun-
teer help. I wish more visitors would
come to mother the babies during the
day, for that is most essential part
of the needed treatment"
When the babies reach a convalescen,
stage they are taken to n separate house
fitted up with individual beds and play
things On cool or inclement days they
remain in there, but so long as the
weather permits they spend most Of
their time under the trees.
Happily enough the work of the Babies
| Hospital does not end with the treatment
in the country. An infant once treated
there is under the supervision of the
hospital association till it Is six years
old. Visiting nurses of the organization
visit the home, teaching prevention oi
disease as well as the curing. II there
leak in the roof. the nurse reports
it to the housing committee and has il
repaired If the family needs clothing
fuel or food she sees that necessities are
obtained. She Is a sort of guardian ange
for the family till the child or children
have been graduated" from the care o
the organization. A free dispensary a
500 Addison Street is a part of the as
sociation's work. And the most wonder
full part of 1t all, in the estimation q
Miss Clara F.. Pickering, financial sec
retary, Is a new hospital which Is to b.
erected Immediately.
There we'll have a center where
Philadelphia physicians may treat thou
sands instead of hundreds of babies &
' year" said Miss Pickering. I'VE viii
be able to improve hygienic, social and
economic conditions of poor families
, through the increased social service staf
and to advance Philadelphia from tn,
background in the work of health con
, servation and reclamation among babies
We can examine more babies in the
well-baby clinic each year: keep then
under the supervision of skilled physi
clans and nurses till school age anc
educate older children in the care o.
baby brothers and sisters while theiI
fathers are at war and their mothers a.
- work.
And. best of all perhaps, the new
hospital will have comfortable sleepinf
{ quarters on the dspensary roof fol
= babies and mothers who cannot ESCAPE