AIMS OF MODERN PEDIATRICS 497 



cularly important, as they form the natural centres for the practical 

 education and scientific work from which the clinical institutes 

 develop. 



The assistance of pediatry in the reform of orphan and reforma- 

 tory asylums, in the question of school physician, in the numberless 

 societies whose purpose is the strengthening and making healthy of 

 growing children (school gardens, vacation camps, seashore homes, 

 etc.), goes without saying. It was the pediatrist who first pointed 

 out the necessity for such institutions and the means of redress. 



The latest movement makes the care of nursing infants its aim, the 

 shocking mortality among whom has already been mentioned. In 

 this direction, as in the care of children in general, at least as far as 

 governmental aid is considered, France occupies unopposed the first 

 rank, whom Hungary now follows with praiseworthy zeal. In most 

 other countries there are only private undertakings; homes for 

 cripples, milk dispensaries (so called grottos de lait), maternity hospi- 

 tals, homes for infants. The latter serve also mostly the purposes of 

 educating medically trained nurses. In this respect the institutions 

 existing in the United States, among which I have become best 

 acquainted with St. Margaret's House in Albany directed by Dr. 

 Shaw, are especially worthy types. 



All these institutions have been started by pediatrists, in part 

 carried on by them, and sustained by their voluntary and gratuitous 

 assistance. Thus it comes about that every year hundreds of thou- 

 sands of persons whose financial position would otherwise not per- 

 mit it enjoy the benefit of specialistic medical advice and treatment, 

 and that the knowledge of a rational care of children, which is so 

 necessary, becomes more and more widespread among the people. 

 The warm interest and the aid which these efforts find among all 

 classes of people show that the usefulness and humanity of these 

 aims are fully appreciated. The great importance of these efforts for 

 the sustaining and strengthening of coming generations is also being 

 more and more recognized by the public authorities. 



Thus our young science may, with full justification, claim to have 

 been successful in the great task which has fallen to it in the share of 

 public work. 



