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power of nurfe-tenders or patients to controul. Since the above 
period alfo the number of beds in the large wards have been re- 
duced to feven, and feveral changes made in their conftrudtion, 
which render them more airy, and more eafily kept clean. The . 
confequences have been favourable far beyond the expectation of 
every perfon concerned. The nine-day fits are become vifibly lefs 
frequent; and the abftract of our regiftry fhews the fact at firft 
view to the moft imattentive obferver. Of eight thoufand and 
thirty-three children born /swce the above ferzod, only four hundred 
and nineteen have died in the hofpital; that is nearly one in nine- 
feen and-a third, or from five to fix in the hundred. Had the 
mortality of infants been in this proportion fince the commence- 
ment of the Dublin hofpital, the number of children dead would 
have been fomewhat about thirteen hundred, inftead of the prefent 
number, three thoufand three hundred and fixty-three; or in 
other words, above two thoufand lives would have been faved to 
the community. 
Tuar this diminution of mortality is to be attributed to im+ 
provements in ventilation can admit, I think, of little doubt. 
No other new mode of management has been of late pratifed to 
account for it. No other remedies ufed than fuch as have been 
tried a thoufand times unfuccefsfully. I know it has been ob- 
jeGted, that it may be owing to their mothers now remaining a 
fhorter fpace of time im the hofpital than formerly. In order to 
afcertain whether this be a matter of fact, I have, for the laft 
two years, had an entry made of the day on which each infant 
died; the number dead has been one hundred and fourteen, and 
they have died on the following days after their birth: 
O 2 tath 
