The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-11-17
BIZ FREDERICK J. HAsKIN

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 16.-Tha
year 1921 was healthy one for Ameri-
can babies-comparatively speaking
According to the exhaustive report
just issued by the American Child
Hygiene association, the infant death
rate last year was 77.9 per thousand
births. This figure is still larg=
enough to be a reproach to a nation
but it may be compared with the in.
FAINT death rate of 1918 which was
1867. In other words, of every 1000
babies born in each of these years
nearly 80 more survived In 1921 THAI
in 1918.
The shocking infant mortality of the
United States is slowly but surely be
ing cut down as mothers. doctors and
nurses are educated in the proper
ways of rearing children. For many
years the country regarded this pre-
ventable defamation of its infants with
apathy, believing it to be the inevitable
accompaniment of modern life. IL
1909 those who we're aware that the
lives of countless thousands of in
fants might be saved by the applica
ton of intelligence, began the cam
paign for betterment. In that yeat
the American Child Hygiene associa
ton, Git first had another name), was
organized under the auspices of the
American Academy of Medicine; and
as the organization of this society hai
expanded and as its energy and influ
ence have grown, the infant deat,1
has steadily declined. 1t is a con
spicuous example of the value of vo.
unteer effort in civic improvement
In fact, the direct connection be
tween the education of the public b.
attested methods and the health of in
fants is now so well recognized thai
it has become an axiom with the As
ISOLATION that "given proper organi
cation in community, and eonugt
money. decline in the infant dealt
rate can be predicted mathematically'
The American Child Hygiene asso
citation was first in the field, but i
is now not alone. During the war there
was organized in New York the Chill,
Health Organization of America t.
instill habits of health into American
school children. With its health cal
endars for children, its health. song
and plays, and, more spectacularly
with "Cho-cho, the Health Clown,
familiar to tens of thousands of Ameri
can school children, this organization
has been doing valuable practica
work. Also within the past 10 year
the Children's Bureau was created a
| part of the Department of Labor, an
this official bureau works in close &C
| operation with the two volunteer bod
| les.
At its recent annual meeting il
Washington, the American Child Hy
| giene association voted to amalga
mate with the Child Health Organ
cation of America, following simila
action previously taken by the latte
group. The process of combining i
now being carried through Thus il
one body will be combined the Who'll
national volunteer effort seeking t
improve the health of American chilli
New Field.
Since the Child Hygiene association
has concerned itself almost exclusive
i ly with children under one year {
age and the child Health Organizatio
has dealt with children of school ag,
there has remained the province of tn
pre-school child which has been III
| touched
The new combined organization e.
poets soon to go into this field 1t j
important territory, too, because
the pre-school years are develope