S. W. NEWMAYER, M. D. 



viduality and self-dependence, pauperizing the pooi% have come 

 from a handful of social workers, unacquainted with the true 

 state of affairs, and from them echoed into the mouths of con- 

 troling powers of municipal governments. Through this grave 

 mistake there is constant fear of overstepping in such charities, 

 as giving free medicine and nursing, milk and ice, feeding the 

 infant and, when necessary, supplying the food, probing into home 

 conditions and the many things which make up proper healthful 

 living. The time for believing the health of the infant is the 

 business of the parent and no one else is past. We make it our 

 business that the child shall have an education, how he shall be 

 educated and how long. "The infant of today is the school child 

 of tomorrow/' If the infant is not receiving proper nourishment 

 and care, whether through ignorance or neglect, it is the duty of 

 the municipality to furnish the personal care and attention re- 

 quired. The question as to whether a so-called family physician 

 is in attendance, when he has shown himself incompetent to 

 manage the case, is no reason why we should shout "Hands off !" 

 let the child die. If a physician has diagnosed a case of small- 

 pox one of chicken-pox, the city corrects the mistake and acts 

 accordingly. Eventually the proper authorities must take care 

 of these problems, and only then will the question of infant mor- 

 tality be solved. 



Institutions and baby farms add materially to the death rate 

 among infants, and it is only by stringent laws and active super- 

 vision that these sources of mortality can be controlled. 



The value of individual feeding according to the infant, and 

 not according to age, is very interestingly told in the history of 

 one large institution for children located in Philadelphia. In 

 1909 this institution fed all the infants according to age on a 

 series of set formulas of milk mixtures. The children were cared 

 for by nursery maids. In June, 1909, this institution, based on 

 the number of sick children, had about 65 per cent, of deaths. 

 In July, 1909, about 55 per cent, and a similar death rate for 

 August. In 1910 the managers employed a physician, who was 

 well trained in diseases of children and infant feeding ; they also 

 substituted trained nurses for the nursery help. Each child was 

 carefully examined and watched, and fed according to the phy- 

 sician's advice. The results were : For June, 1910, 14 per cent, 

 mortality; July, 8 per cent., and August, but 4.4 per cent. 



Mistakes occur in assuming that the education of mothers as 

 to the care and feeding of their infants is sufficient. To illus- 

 trate: Birth reports are received at the central office of the 

 Health Bureau, and within 24 to 48 hours a nurse is dispatched 

 to the home. She may find the child being fed on the breast, 



