The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-01-17
DEATHS AT CHILDBIRTH.

Rev. Joseph Souza, Of the Salem
District, India, writes to The Catholic
Bulletin as follows:
Owing to the want CT dispensaries
and hospitals in my district, the
chances OF a recovery from even an
ordinary illness are very few. A great
number OF my Christians and a far
higher percentage Of pagans died like
flies. Lately | had to attend sick
call on the wife Of one of my cate
chists. She was suffering from high
Duerperal fever, brought on, no doubt,
through the ignorance, i'll manage
ment and CaTcl2ssness OF an unframed
midwife. | need not mention that the
child died before it saw the light OF
day and the woman, after suffering
purgatOry on earth, had gone, too,
leaving two little orphans. Such
cases are of frequent, if not of daily,
occurrence, in my district.
Infantile mortality rate is three to
four times as heavy as it is in Eng
land and Wales. The maternal NOR
tality is to 10 times as great. While
one mother dies out of 260 on account
OF pregnancy in England, in the City
OF Madras one out OF every 20 or 20
dies from accidents at childbirth,
which are almost always preventable.
There are, besides, many diseases
which affect pregnant women and
which prove fatal to them from lack Of
timely and proper treatments. In 1918
there were All deaths due to accidents
at childbirth. The total number of
births was roughly 10000, so that it
Giyes a mortality rate Of 20 per 1000.
Tor every single death from accidents
O. childbirth, at least two deaths Oc-
cur from complications OF pregnancy.
Hence the rate would be so per 1000.
In England one woman dies of sepsis
for every $50 confinements, whilst in
Madras one woman died for every so
lirths. Total number Of women who
OIe on account of childbirth in Eng
land and Wales is $500 per year. AL
most third of that number died in
the City of Madras alone in one year.
thing be done to reduce this mortal
ity rate. First and foremost, priests
are debarred for more than one rea-
son from rendering help in such cases.
Private doctors and nurses, even when
available, charge too much, so that the
poor can't afford to accept their serv-
ices. No wonder the Barber midwife
j. so much in demand because she
charges only 80 cents. Add to this
the fact that Indian etiquette does not
allow the women folk to talk with
men, other than those of the family.
And yet something must be done. I'm,
I'll such time as we can persuade Cath.
Ole nuns to offer the orphans in their
convent to undertake the study OF
medicine, and until such time as they
are ready by their study and training
TO act as doctors and surgeons, we
must in the meanwhile take such
means and measures as are at hand
inadequate and inefficient as they may
be, if not to decrease the mortality tc
an appreciable extent, at least to save
souls and secure the baptism in arti
Eculo mortis of so many countless chill
dren.
1t was with this intent and motive
therefore, that for a full year l hat
been coaxing the Catechist Sisters o
Mary Immaculate to visit my district
AT last the Reverend Mother and /;
companion came. They stayed for ;
week and visited several villages. II
spite of strong caste prejudices, the.
we're warmly received by all classe
of pagans The Reverend Mothe
was so pleased over the results tina
she has made up her mind to pay fire
quent visits as soon as two more nun
arrive from Europe. Short as thei
stay was, they baptized eight pagans
And this has been the fruits of thei
First visit amidst people who ha
Sneveraseen a nun before in all thei
s1ife. E8
| intend to build small house a
Afootliookondapally, consisting of tw
rooms and kitchen, one room t
serve as disnansary and the other &c