Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-02-16
Ricketts, Cause
And Cure Sought

New York, Feb. 15-(A. P.)-Three
out Of four infants In q New York
tenement district develop ricketts, be-
fore they are a year old, according
to a report made public today by the
New York Association for Improving
! the Condition Of the Poor, giving the
| results of a campaign to combat this
disease which the A. l. c. P. has been
! carrying on for the last five years.
The report indicates that ricketts,. a
winter disease, the most marked ef-
feet Of which is to retard the devel-
opment of the bony tissues of the
very young child. particularly the
long bones of arms and legs. is at
present a serious obstacle to child
! health. 1t is responsible, the A. ].
c. p. finds. for the fact that fully rs
! percent of the children in one New
York tenement district have serious
orthopedic defects. such as bow
legs. knock knees. funnel chest"
, and spinal curvatures and this mall
ady. is also held to be largely re-
! spohsible for the appalling death
rate Of young children in this dis
! trict from pneumonia and other res
piratory diseases. The report, in
part. follows:
1.-THE Association for Improving
| the Condition Of the Poor is carrying
on its annual campaign against
ricketts, in the Mulberry district in
, New York City. Five years of in
| tensive work has shown that ricketts,
in early infancy presents real OBJ
stacle to child health. 1t is no ex-
! aggeration to say that Is percent of
the babies in this district develop
ricketts, before they are year old.
! The after affects OF this condition
are seen in the large number of chill
dren from two to six years of age
| fully $500 who have serious ortho-
pedic defects, and in the appalling
death-rate of young children from
pneumonia and respiratory diseases
largely due to the narrow chest and
, confined breathing space so charac-
teristic Of the rachitic child.
THAT child has bow legs because
his mother let's him walk too soon,
Is the popular explanation Of the two
or three-year- old youngster with
badly bowed legs. This thoroughly
unscientific theory Is. after all, not
SO far from the truth. Such chill
dten usually have suffered from
ricketts,. The most marked effect Of
this disease is to retard the develop
ment of the bony tissues of the
| body, particularly the long bones of
the arms and legs. Their legs,
therefore, may be said to be too
youg, physiologically. to support the
weight Of their bodies. When they
attempt to stand on their feet, the
, bones of the legs bend under the
/ weight of the body like a tender
green twig.
! "Rickets may be occasioned by one
| or two factors. or by both together;
" inadequate exposure to sun
iight, (2) diet deficient in a food
accessory vitamin, whose nature is as
yet unknown, but which enables the
| BODY to store calcium and phosphor-
Gus in the bones from the food TAX
en- into the body. The disease is
most prevalent during the winter
months in north temperate climates.
particularly among races with dark
SKINS in which the pigment still
further retards the effects of the
! suns rays. On the other hand, the
disease is practically unknown
"i"ohs negroes In the West Indies
VINO are receiving an abundance of
sunlight, or among Eskimos, who are
used to little sunlight but whose diet
from early infancy consists largely
OF rats and oils of fish. Babies be-
tween three months and one year of
age are most susceptible to the dis
ease, particularly If they are within
TINS age period during the late win
ter months when the seasonal Incl
dence Is at its peak.
"Physiologists are at a loss TO ey-
pam now the suns rays or the oil
Or hsh Evers can deposit calcium in
the bones. but the fact that thew do
mas been amply demonstrated elm
ica,ly and in experiments with ami
mails. There are. therefore. two
methods Of attacking ricketts,: u
Exposing the babies directly to the
rays OF the sun or to the ultra
violet rays OF a quartz lamp: or
~ giving doses of fish liver oil
tnfee times day during the period
or life when ricketts, is most likely to
occur. Sunlight in congested city
aistricts Is rare commodity. For
,his reason. moderate dosages of fish
nVer OIL Is safe, prophylactic mea :