DR. C. PAGET LAPAGE'S PAPER 



were .giving to the lower animals what they required, 

 beca-use they had a monetary value, but the human child 

 had no negotiable value. A large part of the infantile 

 mortality was due to ignorance of an extraordinary degree ; 

 no one who had not worked amongst the poor people could 

 have any idea of the ignorance. It was only by the instruc- 

 tion of the mothers that a change for the better would be 

 brought about. The care of the mothers during pregnancy 

 was also a great necessity, and they must come under the 

 same protective influences. 



Dr. L. E. LA FETRA, in reply, said there was no question 

 but that the nurse who looked after the health of the 

 mothers and children must do that alone; otherwise, as had 

 been stated by Dr. Truby King, the more urgent calls of 

 the sick .would take her attention away, and she would 

 probably put off for another day what should be done 

 immediately at the time of her visit. With regard to the 

 point raised as to the nurses going to the homes of the rich 

 and to those in moderate circumstances he confessed that 

 was a problem which had not been worked out by them. 

 They found that the very rich were well taken care of, 

 because they could afford to pay for the services of the best 

 physicians and nurses, and the very poor were fairly well 

 taken care of by philanthropic societies or local visitors from 

 the hospitals and dispensaries, but the vast number of 

 people in moderate circumstances had not yet been reached, 

 and that was the problem they had yet to work out. He 

 was very glad to hear what had been done in New Zealand, 

 and thought they would learn something of great value 

 from the experience of that country. 



THE NECESSITY FOR SPECIAL 

 EDUCATION IN INFANT HYGIENE. 



By C. PAGET LAPAGE, M.D., M.R.C.P. 



Lecturer on Diseases of Children, Manchester University, Honorary Physician to the 

 Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester, and to the St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester; 

 Honorary Consulting Physician to the Manchester Schools for Mothers and to the 

 Princess Christian Training College, Manchester. 



OUR high infantile mortality is, perhaps, one of 

 the greatest of the evils that are attendant on modern 

 civilization. And we have to consider not only our 

 infantile mortality, but also our infantile morbidity. 

 We must note that a large proportion of our infants 



