Evening star., 1926-06-17

include >infa nts under | year. much
less infants under : months OF age.
Intelligent American mothers can
hardly appreciate the custom M
Portuguese mothers Of feeding infants
a few hours old a meal OF softened
crackers. nor the practice OF 1taliau
mothers Of binding their newborn
babes in tight swaddlinG clothes 40
that they cannot move their limhs.
Nor can F'renchmen and Germans un-
dersta nd why American husbands fail
to have their wives pitch hay or DO
other heavy field work which would
make the women strong and healthy
Each nation has it's own prejudices
and practices in connection with in
fants. but the results show in sta
tistics gathered in the registration dis
tricts Of the United States by the
census, which reports:
THE mortality rates for the sew
eral groups of infants, CLASSIFIED ac-
cOrdine to color and nationality of
the mothers. were as follows: Jewish
1owest). 53.5; native white, s3.s; Ger
man. 1891; Italian. 1888: other for
eisn born. 1866: colored, 1914; Polish.
1872: French. .Ca madam, 171.3; Portu-
guese, 2003.
The United States assumes the
highest general standards Of civiliza-
tion, including medicine and santa
tion, vet the death rate nf Infants
in the United States IL 103.3. while
in New Zealand II Is only SOL. Why
should American mothers and doctors
have to cross the Pacific to save the
ba bies?
Aside from fatal termina tions Of
disease. the economic loss from pre-
yentable cases is enormous. Prof.
Fisher of Yale University estimates
that there are 100000 persons sick
In the United States all the time and
that AZ per cent of this illness is
preventable. II all weventable III.
nesses and accidents were avoided
that would add another Is wears 10
our average "expectancy.' THIS es-
Innate is practically confirmed by DR..
Eugene l.. Fisk. who estimates that
there are 2400, 900 i'll. of which num-
her 80 per cent Of the cases are pre-
ventabie. The two authorities com
eide as to the actual number NJ VIC
Tins Of preventahle cases.
Many diseases are nov traced III
rectlv to focal infections OF tonsils.
, teeth and adenoIds. These Infections
cause rheumatism. which leads ~
heart disease Only recently have
doctors traced the connection hetween
decsyed teeth and heart disease.
DR.. George Martin kober. pro-
fessor of hygiene of the Georse'own
University Medical School. says In
paper published by the United
States Public Health Service:
II have already stated that tho
average of human life in this ccun-
try has been heightened from ~
wears in 1870 to 56 wears in l'z".
gain of l5 years. In the opinion
of the American Public Health Asso-
citation it will he possible. even with
ont further additions To our KNOW.
edse of the causes and prevention ~
disease. but simply ny the application
of knowledge already gained and as
yet unapplied. to add at least 2"
wears 10 the span of life. within tho
next 80 wears. ! am sufici"ntiy "p-
timistjc to believe that. provided we
maintain our present high standa rds
Of civilizs tion and correct living. the
average span of life may reach the
biblical threescore wears and ten
by 1880"
when the average is 10 years cen
tenarians will he youngsters.
Copyright. 1925. by Paul V. Collins