120 ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION 



for the Canadian mother on the prairie, on the Peace 

 River, or on the outposts anywhere. Wherever we 

 need a post office, if there are homes and families, 

 we must get a doctor, or a cottage hospital, or at least 

 a district nurse, to welcome the Canadian baby and 

 preserve that most precious life the life of the mother. 



THE PREVENTION OF INFANT 

 MORTALITY. 

 BY JAMES GRAY. 



Secretary oj the State Children's Council of South Australia. 



THE State Children's Council of South Australia 

 has directed that some information on the above 

 subject shall be sent to the assembly gathering in 

 London to discuss this topic. 



This Council and its officers are much occupied 

 with the work of preventing the death of infants 

 who but for the Council's efforts would certainly die 

 before a year old, and in endeavouring to bring such 

 children up to maturity in such a degree of health, 

 bodily, mental and moral, as shall make them useful 

 people. 



Since the State Children's Council took over the 

 care of 666 children on January i, 1887, the death- 

 rate has been very low. The children were of all 

 ages, wards of the State, and placed in most instances 

 in the homes of various persons all over the country. 



The following table goes to show that children 

 placed in homes with adequate inspection are to a 

 considerable degree protected as compared with those 

 who are either in institutions or in uninspected homes, 

 for it is to be noticed that during the last two or three 

 years of the above record there was a difficulty in 

 finding homes for infants, and an immediate rise in 

 the death-rate followed consequent on their compul- 

 sory detention in institutions, although these were 

 managed by the Council with every care. 



