Evening star., 1940-04-04
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study ri
By Thomas r. Henry.


And Study ri
By Thomas r. Henry.
Whooping cough. which used to claim
the lives Of at least 10000 American
children q year, now is one Of the con-
quered diseases.
Only two other maladies of childhood
diphtheria and smallpox-are In the
same class.
This claim was made here today by
DR.. Joseph r. Bilderback Of Portland,
Oreg., president Of the American Acad-
emy Of Pediatrics, which includes the
foremost child specialists in the United
States. Whooping cough vaccines now
on the market, DR.. Bilderback said,
produce at least 30 per cent immunity
and greatly reduce the severity Of the
disease in the remaining 20 per cent.
The vaccine is 50 new, he said, that
1t is still uncertain whether the i'm
munity lasts beyond the years OF child
hood. In the past, DR.. Bilderback ex-
planned, whooping cough was too often
considered one Of the diseases which
every child must have sooner or later.
1t often led to pneumonia and death.
The disease comes in cycles which
differ for each part of the country, so
that there Is q whooping cough epidemic
everywhere nearly every year.
At the same time, Dr. Bilderback
said statistics Of the academy show that
baby doctors have worked themselves
out Of Jobs. Due partly to their efforts
In preventive medicine and partly to
greatly improved nutrition of children
sickness Of all kinds in youngsters be-
low school age in the United States has
dropped approximately so per cent In
the last 10 years.
Quite the reverse, DR.. Bilderback be-
lieves, will be the picture in Europe as
an aftermath OF the present war, even
If 1t ends in the near future. Reports
Of the diets Of German babies reaching
American child specialists, he said, leave
little to be expected than a stunted,
crippled race emerging from the great
struggle. Synthetic foods, he stressed.
cannot contain the essentials of diet.
The scientifically founded opinions of
American pediatricians, DR.. Bilder-
back said. have profoundly Influenced
ex-president Herbert Hoover, especially
In his Finnish relief efforts. There can
be little doubt, he stressed, that the next
from the struggle no~ raging in Europe.
The effects were profound following
the last World War, he said, but there is
every reason to believe that this one will
be much worse. He emphasized the troops
of wild children in Russia in the early
twenties which have been found good
for nothing but cannon fodder. Possibly
some Of the troops sacrificed in Finland,
he believes, were made up OF these chill
dren, grown to manhood and constitut.
ing an unsolvable social problem.
On the other hand, he said, the status
OF American children, especially girls
has improved so rapidly that parents
often are scared at the results. 1t is not
unusual for mothers, he explained, to
come to 4 child specialists ONCE and
complain that their children are too
big or too strong for their ages. They
think the offspring are suffering from
some glandular trouble whereas their
well-being is solely the result of periodic
health examinations and plentiful sup
vH1{Ac iy, tat ~ ,kefe
sary to health which were unknown even
to the very wealthy few years ago.
The hurdle still to be crossed, DR.
Bilderback said, is the routine health
examination for children between the
first birthday and the time they enter
school, This is the time, he believes,
wnen children are most neglected and
likely to develop ailments which will
continue with them through life.
Generally speaking, it was estimated
by DR.. Bilderback and other child
specialists, the cost of such examina-
tions at the hands Of private physician
would be about $125 per child. But, they
stressed, in nearly every American city
it can be had for nothing at free public
clinics administered by able pediatri-
clans.
1t is now fairly safe to assume, he
said, that q child with normal weight
Of between 20 and Is pounds at the first
birthday will not have any serious ILL
ness before school age, If properly ex-
amined five or six times year.
The child specialists Of America, DR..
Bilderback stressed. are dedicated to the
principle that children belong to the
parents" and that this will result in a
hitherto unimaginable quality of child
life. The day is close at hand, he said,
when every baby. provided there are no
birth defects, will be well baby and the
cost Of medical treatment will be greatly
reduced.
Every test which has been made, he
said. shows the great physical superior
tty Of the present generation over the
past It was first apparent for. boys.
Today it is even more apparent in COM
parsons between American girls and
their mothers.
Expresses Thanks for
Morgantown Bridge Features.
| To the Editor Of The Star: