University of Southern Mississippi - Southerner Yearbook (Hattiesburg, MS)

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MARY FALCON ER VVayne County fed, then follow the rules. Euhg wrlfarv HREE hundred thousand deaths a year and half of them preventable! Think of it, one hundred and fifty thousand babies in the United States dying each year, that might be saved! Ignorance is responsible for a large part of this needless sacrifice. What is to be done? Teach the mothers what they ought and need to know. Impure milk is the cause of a large per cent of the deaths. Milk, for the Baby, at least, must come from healthy cows and must be handled with the greatest care. Here are aa few rules for obtain- ing pure milk: First, use a small mouthed pail to milk in. Second, sterilize all milk things and dry immediately. Third, cool the milk as quickly as pos- sible after milking and keep it cool. Fourth, the milker must always keep clean. Observe these rules and baby has a chance. In feeding Baby it is always easier to feed him than to hear him fret, but remem- ber more babies are over fed than under fed. Find out how often and learn how your baby ought to be Baby needs clean water as well as clean milk and this is often forgotten. Boil the water and then cool it. Give it in a bottle between feedings. Baby should have a warm tub bath at least once a day. In hot weather a cool, extra sponge helps to keep him cool and fresh. Plenty of fresh air is always needed. During the winter keep Baby in a well ventilated room which is aired at least twice a day and take him out as often as is possible. Let him sleep in the sunshine, well Wrap- ped up in pretty weather. In summer Baby can stay out of doors almost all the time. Keep him out of the hot sun but in the open air. Fresh air rarely harms while foul air always harms. Birth Registration is one of the rocks upon which the Better Babies Movement rests. Mississippi entered upon this forward movement in 1912, and is one of the lead- ing states of the twenty-eight, which have this law. Baby's Welfare is a subject every one is taking an interest in now. The whole country lately observed Baby Week. If you have not already been doing something to help this cause, hurry up and do something. Start a Mother's Club and study about your babies. Read all you can. Have a nurse tell you what she will. Have a Better Babies Contest, and find out just where your baby stands. We are concerned a great deal about better stock, better roads and better farms, but what is more valuable than Better Babies ? Join the nation wide movement and do something to save the Baby. THE MOTHER'S CREED. We believe: ANONYMOUS That God gave us our children as a precious gift! That constant watchful care of them is our full duty: That we should guard well their healthg That we should train them to right livingg That we should give them the best education we can afford: That we should give them much chance to playg That we should pray daily for their welfareg That our deeds should be the right models for them to follow. MARY FALCONER. N

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Uhr Liarriznn Anti-Narrntir Emu sinh ilinturr Cfrnvratinna H EN the American people took possession of the Phillipine Islands, they found the people suffering from the use of opium. The United States at once started a movement which ended in 1915, in an agreement of thirty-four nations to stop the opium traffic. This movement was start- ed by an international convention, the lirst one meet- ing at Shanghai, China. At this first meeting of the nations interest- ed in this opium law, it was found that the United States was open to considerable criticism for per- mitting the importation of so large an amount of smoking opium, the revenue on this drug prior to W' G' EDWARDS 1909 being 327,000,000 This fact caused Congress Webster County to pass the Opium Exclusion Act of 1909. But this act was not sufficient to suppress the opium trade. Hence, to perfect this inadequate legislation, Representative Harrison of New York, introduced the bill which bears his name. This bill was passed by Congress December 17, 1914. The title of the bill is an act to provide for the registration of, with Collector of Internal Revenue and to impose a special tax upon, all persons Whc produce, import, manufacture, compound, deal in, sell, or distribute opium leaves, their salts, derivatives, or preparation . This bill went into effect on the first of March 1915. Every person after this date who imports, manufactures, sells, or gives away opium or cocoa leaves or any drug derived from them must register with the Collector of Internal Revenue and pay a special tax. Every transaction must be recorded. If a doctor sees it to be wise to give some narcotic to a patient he may do so, provided he does not go beyong the amount prescribed by law, and provided he records the name of the person and number of grains given. Government blanks must be used in all records kept. The physicians, dentists, and veterinarians are not the only persons that must keep records. The drug- gist who fills the order must also keep a record. When we realize that the progress of the people depends on the efficiency of individual and that the efficiency of a great number of individuals will be impaired, if habit forming drugs are within the reach of every one, we know that this nation-wide legislation will mean much to the future generation. As has been intimated, personal or individual efficiency is the unit of national efficiency. But it must be remembered that private, or individual well being is conditioned upon matters over which only society as a whole can exercise control. Then this is how the Anti-narcotic law will aid the individual man. In the first place, it is a national law, enforced by the national government. Then its purpose is to keep narcotics from the individual. This means a better individual: hence, a more efficient people. Statistics show that a great number of the insane are insane from the excessive use of habit forming drugs, or are children of opium fiends. This drug weakens the mind not only of the person using it but it also weakens the mind of their descendants. But, when the effects of this law takes place, we will have an efficient people. Then, from this efficient people a generation will come free from the courses that follow after dope fiend parents. No longer will our hospitals and asylums be filled with people who are insane from the effects of narcotics. But, on the other hand, the money used in keeping the asylums going can be put to educational purposes. 9 W. G. EDWARDS.

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iEgP Strain Amnng Qlhilhrrn URING recent years compulsory education, followed by medical inspection, has opened the eyes of patrons and teachers to the fact that many dull children are simply physically defect- ive. Defective vision has hampered school children in their Work more, perhaps, than any thing else. School children with bad eye sight who have been treated as delinquent and have been properly fitted with glasses have taken an interest in the Work and often lead their class. The subject of eye strain among children has been seriously overlooked and We have not been B. F. FERGUSON cognizant of this prevalent malady in the home and school room. It is estimated that twenty-five per cent. of the children in school have defective eye sight, and there is grave reason to believe that the home and school serve, on the whole, to increase these defects instead of remedying them. Many homes are not provided with suflicient light. The children are forced to study by fire or by lamps which are not provided with globes. And in many instances Where globes are not lacking, the lights are not sufficient. The light must be clear and at the same time soft to prevent a glare. The lamp should be so arranged that the rays of light will come from over the left shoulder of the child. In many schools even on the side exposed to the sun, the windows are not pro- tected with shades. And Where shades are provided, they are not adjusted to protect the eyes of the children. In placing the desk, the teacher should see that the children do not face a strong light. Children should not be required to study long Without resting their eyes. They can gist them by taking them off their Work and looking at some distant object for a W 1 e. The type should be large enough for children to read at a distance of eighteen inches at perfect ease. Especially is this true with young children, since their eyes are more easily injured, and excessive strain of the muscle may cause myopia. Attention should also be given to the character of the paper used. The paper should be as dull as possible in order to avoid the confusion effects of the glossy surface. Childrenls eyes should be examined at least once a year by a competent oculist and all children who have defective eye sight should be tested at once. The teachers should test the eyes of the students often, for children may not detect any defect in their eyes in time to prevent serious injury. This can be done by use of test cards which can be had for a few cents. There is nothing about children that should be more carefully guarded than the eye sight. There is nothing that will compensate them for the loss of their sight. Parents, teachers, and physician should all join in a crusade against needless eye strain among the children at home and school. Rankin County B. F. FE RGUSON. 11