KITCHENER AND THE INFANTS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1522, 19 August 1912, Page 3

KITCHENER AND THE INFANTS

True to his habit of attending to all details and seeing for himself the progress that is being mode in any work wherein he is interested, Lord Kitchener (says the Cairo correspondent of the "Pall Mall Gazette" on June 19) paid a visit to the Hospital of the Society for the Protection of Infants. His object was to inspect the Keno Quinton system of marine injection, as applied to infants suffering from gastroenteritis. Some rcninrkable results have been achieved with these injections, which convey almost instant relief. Photographs were exhibited of babies who had boon brought. into the hospital in a well-nigh hopelcfS state, and who, after a couple ot days' treatment, had grown and improved beyond all recognition. Lord Kitchener was very much impressed by the success with which the application of the system to Egyptian children has been met. He is very much interested in tho question of infant mortality out here. And well ho may, too, for it is the scourge of Egypt, and there are few countries in tho world with such high statistics in that category. The summer is the worst time, and under normal conditions the death-rate of children under one year is 105 per week, rising at times to three and sometimes five times that figure. It is appalling to think that of the babies born here in the summer only about 40 per cent, ever attain their first anniversary. Gasho-enteritis is the direct cause of death in most instances, and the succe's of tho saline injection system in cases afflicted with that disease leads one to hope that the dreadful infant mortality rate will now be arrested.

Since Lord Kitchener has interested himself in tho matter, and is convinced of the efficacy of the treatment, it is expected that a wide extension will bo given to its application.