240 MEDICAL SECTION 



Every physician should appreciate the importance 

 and understand the technique of maintaining breast- 

 feeding as long as possible. 



For the premature and feeble infants breast milk 

 is almost a necessity, and can usually be obtained 

 from maternity hospitals, or from the wet nurse 

 agencies that are now being established. Artificial 

 feeding, even with the best modifications of milk, can 

 be regarded only as a second choice ; it succeeds well 

 when constantly and carefully supervised. 



Important adjuvants to proper nourishment more 

 important with babies that are bottle-fed are the 

 matters of proper housing, ventilation, clothing, rest, 

 exercise and airing, bathing, and protection from 

 infection. In this connection it is interesting to recall 

 that Prausnitz, investigating the influence of the living 

 conditions upon the occurrence of gastro-intestinal 

 disease, found that, in Graz, not a single child of rich 

 parents died in the five years investigated ; during 

 the same period, of those in moderate circumstances, 

 4 per cent, died of gastro-intestinal disease, of the 

 poor 36 per cent, died, and of the destitute 60 per 

 cent. died. 



Analogous results were found in the four other 

 cities and indicate the influence of the home conditions, 

 feeding and care. 



From what has been said, it is manifest, I think, 

 that special education in infant hygiene is needed, and 

 it is also evident that this matter is primarily one for 

 the medical profession rather than for the Government 

 or philanthropic agencies. What can and should the 

 medical profession do ? The answer is, establish in 

 every medical school a separate department of 

 paediatrics commensurate in importance with the 

 importance of this subject, and include in the cur- 

 riculum a special course on infant hygiene. 



On the Continent paediatrics has long been recog- 

 nized as a speciality. Not only have special journals 



