- Email: [email protected]
MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES AND THE FEEDING OF INFANTS.
608 believe that some of the cases could, as a matter of fact, have been medically examined at all. As all these medical inspections must have been conducted, and the lists of them signed, by military medical officers or by members of the civil profession who passed the men, there should presumably be no difficulty in tracing those who are responsible, and in our opinion this course should be at once adopted. It would be interesting to know whether any special orders be too were issued to the examining surgeons not to
particular but to pass as many men as possible. SPRAYING POTATOES WITH SULPHATE OF COPPER.
correspondence from Ireland an account is given, of to agriculturists as well as to medical men, of interest great a hitherto unrecorded risk of poisoning by sulphate of copper through the spraying of potatoes. In Ireland, as, indeed, is the case now in most temperate climates, the potato is a staple article of food and is cultivated with the greatest care ; but, unfortunately, it is liable to be attacked by a most destructive disease caused by the parasitic fungus "phytophthora infestans,"which, like the potato itself, was introduced from America but at a later date-1840. The fungus attacks the stem and leaves as well as the tubers ; it appears first on the stem and leaves, as a rule about the end of July or the month of August. When confined to the stem and leaves it causes them to turn brown and eventually black, totally destroying their tissues, hence from their withered aspect the disease has been termed the"potato blight."" Finally, the tubers are attacked and decay with dry or wet rot. As a result anyone driving through the country at this time of year can, if the disease is prevalent, detect its presence by smell and so by some it is called the "potato rot." The disease prevails when the weather is both warm and wet. It was especially the total failure of the crop in 1849 through this blight that contributed largely to the Irish famine of that period. To prevent its occurrence new seed has from The seventh Duke of time to time been introduced. of the Marlborough (grandfather present peer), when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, took a warm interest in this question and his gifted son-the late Lord Randolph Churchill-made one of his earliest and most brilliant speeches in the House of Commons in the " seventies " on the question of seed potatoes. In more recent years, however, attempts have been made, with the greatest success, to prevent the potato disease by spraying the stems and leaves of the plant, generally about July, with a fluid which is destructive to the fungus. The material used is, as a rule, sulphate of copper, but it is evident from the occurrence near Ballymena of a fatal case in a person employed in spraying that in carrying out this preventive measure precautions must be used. These are (1) that persons using the spray should not have wounds or sores on their hands ; (2) that they should always wash their hands after spraying or should wear long-armed gloves ; (3) that they should try not to breathe or inhale the vapour, or should wear a respirator ; and, finally, (4) that they should not blow down he tube of the sprayer. This is the first case of the kind recorded. IN
our
and we as a profession cannot entirely absolve ourselves from blame for this most regrettable condition of affairs, for to a very large extent we have allowed the control of infant dietetics to pass from our hands into those of the vendors of proprietary foods whose chief object has been to sell the products of their manufacture and not to consider the ultimate welfare of the individuals for whom they cater. The leaflet which Dr. Patdn has drawn up for the instruction of mothers is thoroughly practical and to the point. He rightly insists that the best food for an infant is healthy mother’s milk, but that when this supply is not available the only proper and reliable substitute is modified cow’s milk. He also supplies full directions for preparing the same in accordance with an infant’s requirements during the different periods of its life, and further, he warns parents against attempting to supply any other kind of food without explicit direction from the medical attendant. The question of infant feeding is undoubtedly one of national importance, because it is during the first year of life that the constitution of an individual is largely determined, and because, apart from hereditary influences, the method of feeding adopted during these early months of life is the chief contributory factor in the determination of a constitution which is sound or the reverse. Until such time as the nation realises its responsi. bilities with regard to this question it is only by the independent energy of our medical officers of health that any direct pressure can be brought to bear upon mothers or other individuals who are entrusted with the care of infants. That success can follow so simple and inexpensive an expedient as the distribution of a leaflet of directions for the feeding of infants has been already clearly proved in the case of Darwen ; in this town the medical ofticer of health, Dr. F. G. Haworth, some yeais ago drew up a series of regulations somewhat similar to those now adopted in the case of Norwich and took means. to see that at the time of registration of birth the parents of each child were provided with a copy of his most carefully worded directions. The result has been in every way satisfactory. We hope that ere long this most salutary precedent on the part of Norwich and Darwen will be followed by all municipal authorities throughout the
appalling,
country.
-
A YEAR’S RAILROAD CASUALTIES UNITED STATES.
IN
THE
FROM the annual report of the United States Interstate we learn that the total number of casualties to persons on account of railway accidents during the year ending June 30th, 1900, was 58,185 ; the aggregate number of persons killed was 7865, and the number injured was 50,320. Of railway employes, 2550 were killed and 39,643 were injured. With respect to the three classes of employe these casualties were distributed thus : trainmen-killed, 1396 ; injured, 17,571 ; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmenkilled, 292 ; injured, 3060 ; other employes—killed, 882. injured, 5229. The corresponding figures for the preceding year were : killed, 260 ;injured, 6765. The accidents from coupling and uncoupling cars are divided as follows : train-’
Commission
men-killed, 188 ; injured, 3803 ; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmen-killed, 77 ; injured, 1264. In other employeskilled, 17 ; injured, 162. The casualties caused by falling MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES AND THE FEEDING from trains are classified as follows : trainmen, killed, 412 ; OF INFANTS. injured, 3359 ; switchmen, nagmen, and watchmen-killed, THE municipal authorities of Norwich, as well as their 45 ; injured, 501 ; other employes—killed, 72 ; injured, 565. medical officer of health, Dr. H. Cooper Pattin, are to be The casualties among the same three classes of employes from congratulated on their initiative in circulating for the collisions and derailments were as follows : trainmen-killed. instruction of mothers a most comprehensive and practical 380 ; injured, 1867 ; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmenleaflet on the subjects of infant feeding and the prevention of killed, 11 ; injured, 141 ; other employes-killed, 70: The number of passengers killed during diarrhoea. The ignorance which prevails among the majority injured, 445. of women of the lower orders on these subjects is absolutely the year was 249, injured 4128 ; the corresponding figures
particular but to pass as many men as possible. SPRAYING POTATOES WITH SULPHATE OF COPPER.
correspondence from Ireland an account is given, of to agriculturists as well as to medical men, of interest great a hitherto unrecorded risk of poisoning by sulphate of copper through the spraying of potatoes. In Ireland, as, indeed, is the case now in most temperate climates, the potato is a staple article of food and is cultivated with the greatest care ; but, unfortunately, it is liable to be attacked by a most destructive disease caused by the parasitic fungus "phytophthora infestans,"which, like the potato itself, was introduced from America but at a later date-1840. The fungus attacks the stem and leaves as well as the tubers ; it appears first on the stem and leaves, as a rule about the end of July or the month of August. When confined to the stem and leaves it causes them to turn brown and eventually black, totally destroying their tissues, hence from their withered aspect the disease has been termed the"potato blight."" Finally, the tubers are attacked and decay with dry or wet rot. As a result anyone driving through the country at this time of year can, if the disease is prevalent, detect its presence by smell and so by some it is called the "potato rot." The disease prevails when the weather is both warm and wet. It was especially the total failure of the crop in 1849 through this blight that contributed largely to the Irish famine of that period. To prevent its occurrence new seed has from The seventh Duke of time to time been introduced. of the Marlborough (grandfather present peer), when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, took a warm interest in this question and his gifted son-the late Lord Randolph Churchill-made one of his earliest and most brilliant speeches in the House of Commons in the " seventies " on the question of seed potatoes. In more recent years, however, attempts have been made, with the greatest success, to prevent the potato disease by spraying the stems and leaves of the plant, generally about July, with a fluid which is destructive to the fungus. The material used is, as a rule, sulphate of copper, but it is evident from the occurrence near Ballymena of a fatal case in a person employed in spraying that in carrying out this preventive measure precautions must be used. These are (1) that persons using the spray should not have wounds or sores on their hands ; (2) that they should always wash their hands after spraying or should wear long-armed gloves ; (3) that they should try not to breathe or inhale the vapour, or should wear a respirator ; and, finally, (4) that they should not blow down he tube of the sprayer. This is the first case of the kind recorded. IN
our
and we as a profession cannot entirely absolve ourselves from blame for this most regrettable condition of affairs, for to a very large extent we have allowed the control of infant dietetics to pass from our hands into those of the vendors of proprietary foods whose chief object has been to sell the products of their manufacture and not to consider the ultimate welfare of the individuals for whom they cater. The leaflet which Dr. Patdn has drawn up for the instruction of mothers is thoroughly practical and to the point. He rightly insists that the best food for an infant is healthy mother’s milk, but that when this supply is not available the only proper and reliable substitute is modified cow’s milk. He also supplies full directions for preparing the same in accordance with an infant’s requirements during the different periods of its life, and further, he warns parents against attempting to supply any other kind of food without explicit direction from the medical attendant. The question of infant feeding is undoubtedly one of national importance, because it is during the first year of life that the constitution of an individual is largely determined, and because, apart from hereditary influences, the method of feeding adopted during these early months of life is the chief contributory factor in the determination of a constitution which is sound or the reverse. Until such time as the nation realises its responsi. bilities with regard to this question it is only by the independent energy of our medical officers of health that any direct pressure can be brought to bear upon mothers or other individuals who are entrusted with the care of infants. That success can follow so simple and inexpensive an expedient as the distribution of a leaflet of directions for the feeding of infants has been already clearly proved in the case of Darwen ; in this town the medical ofticer of health, Dr. F. G. Haworth, some yeais ago drew up a series of regulations somewhat similar to those now adopted in the case of Norwich and took means. to see that at the time of registration of birth the parents of each child were provided with a copy of his most carefully worded directions. The result has been in every way satisfactory. We hope that ere long this most salutary precedent on the part of Norwich and Darwen will be followed by all municipal authorities throughout the
appalling,
country.
-
A YEAR’S RAILROAD CASUALTIES UNITED STATES.
IN
THE
FROM the annual report of the United States Interstate we learn that the total number of casualties to persons on account of railway accidents during the year ending June 30th, 1900, was 58,185 ; the aggregate number of persons killed was 7865, and the number injured was 50,320. Of railway employes, 2550 were killed and 39,643 were injured. With respect to the three classes of employe these casualties were distributed thus : trainmen-killed, 1396 ; injured, 17,571 ; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmenkilled, 292 ; injured, 3060 ; other employes—killed, 882. injured, 5229. The corresponding figures for the preceding year were : killed, 260 ;injured, 6765. The accidents from coupling and uncoupling cars are divided as follows : train-’
Commission
men-killed, 188 ; injured, 3803 ; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmen-killed, 77 ; injured, 1264. In other employeskilled, 17 ; injured, 162. The casualties caused by falling MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES AND THE FEEDING from trains are classified as follows : trainmen, killed, 412 ; OF INFANTS. injured, 3359 ; switchmen, nagmen, and watchmen-killed, THE municipal authorities of Norwich, as well as their 45 ; injured, 501 ; other employes—killed, 72 ; injured, 565. medical officer of health, Dr. H. Cooper Pattin, are to be The casualties among the same three classes of employes from congratulated on their initiative in circulating for the collisions and derailments were as follows : trainmen-killed. instruction of mothers a most comprehensive and practical 380 ; injured, 1867 ; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmenleaflet on the subjects of infant feeding and the prevention of killed, 11 ; injured, 141 ; other employes-killed, 70: The number of passengers killed during diarrhoea. The ignorance which prevails among the majority injured, 445. of women of the lower orders on these subjects is absolutely the year was 249, injured 4128 ; the corresponding figures