The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine (May 1913): Vol. LXXXVI. New Series: Vol. LXIV. May to October, 1913Various
History
The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine (May 1913): Vol. LXXXVI. New Series: Vol. LXIV. May to October, 1913
Various
Periodicals
Yet the greatest problem in infant mortality has still to be solved.
This is the care of the “institution” baby. As in England and in
France, the largest number of deaths among New York children occur
among the illegitimate and those lacking a mother’s care during the
early months of life. In 1911 more than forty per cent. of the deaths
of infants under one year in Manhattan occurred in institutions.
The institutions that receive foundlings are too few and too poorly
equipped. One day Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan saw in the street, within
a block of his home, a poor woman hugging despairingly to her
breast a new-born infant. In consequence, he caused to be built the
million-dollar lying-in hospital on Stuyvesant Square, which has
already been the means of saving many an innocent life. But that
superb hospital, large as it is, has not the facilities for taking
care of more than a small number of the infants that require such an
institution.
The material agencies, efficient and marvelous as they have become,
have not been the chief aid in the reduction of the death-rate,
especially among children. Public education has really had more to do
with it. Even those in direct charge of the work in infant mortality do
not assert that the entire credit for the satisfactory progress should
be given to the milk stations, the dispensaries, and the hospitals.
Pamphlets, lectures, newspaper articles, and school-room instruction
are at the base of the advance. Publicity has proved to be a greater
force than milk inspection. Certain popular newspapers in New York
have the power to achieve definite radical reforms in modes of living
whenever they choose to prosecute a vigorous campaign. Just as the
newspapers can expose corruption in any of the city’s departments, so
almost as readily they can uproot or at least substantially lessen
certain sanitary evils. A case in point is their campaign against the
fly last summer. By means of wide-spread and vigorous news articles and
editorials they succeeded in so rousing the mass of the people that
the fly pest was visibly reduced. Health Department officials testify
readily to this.
The work of the social settlements, of the mothers’ clubs, of
the neighborhood nursing associations, of the diet-kitchens, all
contribute to the general education that is bringing about a condition
of excellent public sanitation. This work is necessarily of slow
growth. Its effect is not nearly so evident as that of vaccination, of
smallpox segregation, or of typhoid diagnosis. It is not so simple as
establishing proper sewers or purifying the water-supply; but it is no
less important.
THE STUDY OF SEX HYGIENE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account