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1910] 42
" Teach mothers the value of a drink of pure water to the nursling. Thirst
is often mistaken for hunger, especially in summer time."
Such instructions as these are indeed most excellent, but how can they be
instilled into the mind of the ordinary working man's wife without oral instructions
and explanations ? In them it is laid down that " the physician
must instruct the mother." That would be impossible in this country. Perhaps
they are better off in Chicago than we in Islington, for there are no physicians
available here for the purpose who will give the advice to the poor, and,
therefore, the instruction must be given by Health Visitors, women who are
trained nurses, who have passed examinations in physiology, and whose ex
perience is such as would justify their employment. Does anyone believe
for a moment that if the mothers were visited and instructed it would be
found that 78 per cent, of the mothers of infants who died from diarrhoea
before they had reached the end of their thiid month would have failed to
nurse their infants at the breast? Certainly not, for it is the negation of
all motherly feeling and instinct, which only requires to be roused and encouraged
to ensure that these mothers to do their duty to their infants. But it
will never be done by sending them leaflets, or printed instructions, which only
the very few value, and whose ultimate fate is either to light the fire or a
pipe. It was not only in order that we might send these leaflets to lying in mothers
or to enter their names in carefully kept ledgers that Parliament passed the
Notification of Births Act, but also for a more excellent purpose, to enable
sanitary authorities to give oral advice to those people who so sadly need it, and
through whose want of knowledge so many infants meet a premature, and,
therefore, an unnatural death.
It behoves us, therefore, to be up and doing, for procrastination means
much unnecessary illness and many similar deaths.
One has only to study the mortality returns to see that this statement is
borne out by facts. During the last ten years 23 infants under a year old
out of every thousand born died from bronchitis and pneumonia, in many
instances as the result of exposure to unsuitable weather conditions, and from
other causes that are absolutely preventable; 18 infants in every thousand
born died from marasmus and atrophy, diseases frequently associated with
malnutrition due to improper food, and therefore in a great part preventable.
Twenty-one infants out of every thousand born died from various forms
of diarrhoea, which was due for the most part to various causes which were