Abstracts of Histories of Infants.

Following are abstracts of histories of a few typical cases of infants:

F. 2041. I. L., colored, born February 19, 1900, and committed to the State Board by the Overseers of the Poor of Boston when she was about one month old. Her parents came from North Carolina to Massachusetts less than five years ago. Her father was out of work, and her mother was sick in the hospital with pneumonia. The child was ruptured, small and delicate. She did fairly well for a few weeks, when she began to have boils on her head and neck; these continued for several weeks, and with the extreme summer heat kept her weak and feeble. She was kept alive during the summer by the faithful care and devotion of a colored nurse, with whom she was placed at board. For some weeks after the child was taken by the State, her father visited her frequently; a few months later her mother went to see her; and then both disappeared for several weeks. They were discovered by a letter sent to an old address and forwarded by a friend. Early in October her father appeared at the Board's office, and said that he and his wife were living in a family out of town, where they earned $30 a month, and that they could take the child and support her. A week later he appeared again, and said that his wife was unable to work, and that they had decided to go back to North Carolina, and take the baby with them. The child was

now well, and she was discharged to her parents October 17, 1900.

F. 2059. D. G. This infant, a girl, was born in Fall River, in August, 1899, and, when four months old, was deserted by her mother. The infant was taken in charge by the police of Fall River, and sent to the Overseers of the Poor of Southbridge, that town being the home of the child's father. But the Overseers of the Poor of Southbridge did not know the abode of either parent, and the infant was committed to the custody of the Board, as a neglected child, by the District Court at Southbridge, March 30, 1900. The case was investigated, the mother of the infant and her husband found, and their consent to her adoption obtained. May 9, 1900, she was placed in a family on trial, without expense to the State, and was legally adopted June 14, 1900.

F. 2005. I. D., a girl, was born in Boston, February 17, 1899. Her mother was a young single woman, and had had no real home since her own mother's death in 1893, when her father placed her in a family, where she lived a year. After working in another family for three years, she went to work in a factory, where she met the father of her infant, who was a married man. After her infant was born she assumed another name, and placed her baby at board under that name. The baby, when about four months old, was taken, with a view to adoption, by a man and his wife who had lost their own child, the child's mother agreeing to pay the baby's board. After paying for three weeks, however, she injured her eye and became unable to work. From this time on she was wholly unable to support her child, and in November she disappeared, and on January 8, 1900, the child was committed to the custody of the State Board by the Overseers of the Poor of Boston. The case was investigated at once, the mother's consent to the adoption obtained, and the child was placed on trial without expense to the State, January 22, and was legally adopted January 25, 1900.

F. 2161. E. S. A., a girl, was born February 14, 1899, and was placed in the custody of the Board September 13, 1900, under the provisions of section 1 of chapter 397 of the Acts of 1900. This infant was suffering from spinal

curvature and rachitis. She was too feeble to be fitted with a plaster jacket, and was sent into the country to recuperate. There has been very little improvement in her condition, and her recovery is doubtful.

F. 2037. T. B., a boy, apparently about a month old, and weighing only four pounds, was found in a doorway March 3, 1900, and two days later was committed to the custody of the Board. He was emaciated and extremely feeble. March 7, he was placed at board with a woman of experience in the care of sick infants, with whom he has since remained. He is now a fat, healthy, and good-looking child. A photograph was taken of the infant when he was received, and another a short time ago, and a comparison of the two shows an interesting contrast.

Tables concerning Infants.

The following tables give summaries of infants under two years of age reported to the Board, of deaths of infants under two years of age, and of action on applications for licenses to maintain boarding houses for infants: —

SUPERVISION OF

2

34

35

88

68

83

151

31

75

99

88

187

5

21

26

128

171

299

132

104

236

263

265

528