1 78 Heredity and Child Culture 



what can fairly be said to represent the best 

 world thought on this question: '* Permanent 

 institutional care for infants and young chil- 

 dren should be discouraged on account of the 

 almost insuperable difficulties in maintaining 

 nutrition in infancy under these conditions and 

 because of the great susceptibility of young 

 children to infection; preference should be 

 given to placing such children in suitable 

 families." 



Two experiments might be mentioned in 

 which a striking difference between institu- 

 tional and home care of abandoned infants has 

 been recorded. In San Francisco the mortal- 

 ity for years in the foundling asylums averaged 

 50 per cent. The authorities of these institu- 

 tions finally consented to abandon the institu- 

 tional care and resorted to boarding out with 

 careful oversight. A group of young college 

 women undertook the follow-up work, and once 

 a week all the babies are brought to a central 

 station for weighing and general advice. As 

 a result, the mortality of this class of cases has 

 been reduced to 12 per cent. 



