INFAXTILE MORTALITY. 691 



It is seen also that no cause is so prolific among chiklren in the 

 first year of life as disease of the digestive organs. 



Diarrhoeal diseases of infants are generally accepted to be due 

 to improper or impure food. There is ample evidence to show that 

 the proportion of deaths among infants is greatly reduced when they 

 receive the food nature designed for them — namely, mother's milk. 



The accumulated experience of the world confirms the conclusion 

 that the nursing of all infants by healthy mothers would contribute 

 immensely to the reduction of the infantile death-rate. It i;^ a matter 

 of historv' that during the siege of Paris the death-rate among infants 

 ■went down enormously, because the mothers were confined to the 

 home and had no occupation and little else to do but to look after 

 their babies and those in their own homes. Few features are more 

 striking than the contrasts which are noticed in the death-rate of 

 babies over a series of years. 



In Ireland the general death-rate is higher than it is in 

 Scotland or in England, yet taking the means of ten years (1895 to 

 1904) the infantile death-rate in Ireland was onlv 103, as against 126 

 for Scotland, and 150 for England and Wales — Why? 



Because the mothers of Ireland give their babies their birth- 

 right, and suckle their own babies. 



One hears a good deal about injustice to Ireland, but in this 

 connection Ireland should receive its due merit, as it most certainly 

 reaps its just reward. 



The high mortality among infants and young children arises 

 from various causes, some of which are unavoidable ; others largely 

 and distinctly avoidable or preventable. 



A cei'tain proportion of the deaths are premature; some infants 

 are born with malformations and other congenital defects, which soon 

 tei'minate their existence; others, with hereditaiy tendencies, or the 

 offspring of weakly parents, start greatly handicapped in life, but 

 making due allowance for these causes many medical and sanitary 

 authorities are agreed that about 50 per cent, of infant deaths are 

 preventable. 



Ignorance and carelessness of parents and others cause a fearful 

 waste of infant life. 



From mortality returns of various countries of the world it will 

 be seen that, excepting the deaths from premature births and the 

 causes mentioned above, half of the deaths are due to diseases caused 

 mainly through bad and improper feeding — i.e., diarrhoea, convulsions, 

 dentition, debility, &c. 



Such causes of infantile mortality are common to every locality, 

 and to eveiy community. 



Enough, then, has been said to show that a veiy large percentage 

 of the deaths of infants and young children is preventable. 



The question that now arises is what practical measxu'es can be 

 adopted which will tend to reduce this pj'eventable mortality? 



The problem is how to extend to all children who require it the 

 individual interest now permissible only to the few. 



The measures immediately practicable may be divided into three, 

 viz.— Legislative, Administrative, and Educative. 



