The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956)(about) |
Previous issue
Saturday 10 June 1899
Next issue
Send to:
|
No corrections yet
I HOME FOR FOUNDLINGS. j
THE PROPOSED HOSPITAL.
CLAIMS OP THE INFANT ASYLUM. _ CAN IT MEET THE WANT?
Mnnj' who haxe noticed tint an eifoit is no»v being made to estabheli, a foundling hospital m Melbourne may not be aware of the existence of the Alctorinn Infant As»lum in lieirv-street, last Melbourne, vv huh tal es new boi n babes undci its fos tcnng care, reals them xvith the kindliest pal entai consideiation, and trains thom until thej are able to earn then own living lhe scope of this institution is al piesent constituted is, however, Bomen h it dilierent fiom lint of the pioposed foundling ho. pitnl 'lhe A îetorian Infant Asjlum does not admit foundlings It opens its doora onli to babes accompanied bj their motheis, most of xihoin come liom the Women's Hospital It is quite prepaied, though, to expand its shelttimgs wings so is to eovei those little ones who aro usttallj found on dooisteps, but would require nionct trv assistance to engage in the new enteipnse A turn of .2,000, oi theic ibouts, x»onld en ible the- nsjluni to pioude a home in the coiuitrx hand» to Melbourne, mil the building in Hen. street could then be used is i icceiving house With i countiv home the institute could do botte) xvoik foi the infants now taken ni, as nell as piovidmg for foundlings It is not quite con cet to sai Hint loundlings have nevei been idmitted, for the nile wies deputed fiom on two exceptional occasions -one of them being when n tmv gul in fuit wus found on the xioletbcd m the fionl gulden and the othci when an equillj sm ill uiftnt bov waa picked up on the dooistcp Xhese weio mused with gie it cue, ind gie»» into strong childi cn, and the j me no»» living »nth I espectable families, who g1 nil» idopted tlicin
'Hit as»lum his been in existence for the last 22 xeni-s, dining which time some oUO infanls In» o passed thioiigh the hands of the m .niigtment, full» hill of whom are now with then mollien, oi their iclations lhe pnnciple of tal ing in the motheis w'lth then infants appeals to hive woiked ailinn iblv \pirt fiom its hum me fen line it piovcs a good thing for the infants -who -ne thus fed m the nittinl minnel - ind foi the mothers us well, tot the» ne t night cooltcn ncedh»»or!, x»nslnug and iioning, nnd ill the elements of domestic cccnomv When Hie clnldien lime been wcincil the institution, continuing on its bcneiolcnt (Oiu*c pio\ides the motheis »»ith in outfit when litces-.iv, nnd -ceníes situ itions foi them-ti mittet of no ililli oulli seeing Hut i»eil trained gonerd -.r i mts me \u» stuice lhe infants remain m the is»lum until the» are old enough to eun then lix me-, which foi bo» s is 14 veils of agc Vs to the gills, not one of them lins eiti been sent to work Ihej hue nil ii milli been adopted bv well to do Ímillie- It is ti singular Hung that the fithcis of then infuits hnvc nevei dis plavcd anv mleiesl m thom, and, indeed, iccoidmg to the snpeiintendent, the iden titv of even one li is nevei been lcvenlcd Vs the motheis icmiin in the asjlum for not nioic than fiom eight to tv» ehe months tlieie me ncccf-'-.iilv fewer motheis thin e I uleli e it m the institution at in)
lime
A vi-it to the home xestudav showed tint tlieie ile non d7 childi til ind 12 motheis theic 'Hie little ones- fragile beginning, of a might' end '-had the ap peal ince of bung well cued foi "-onie weie plniing m the sunshine othei» ns let unable to w di, weie hing on the xciindnli cnjii»uig a sun bath, mid others still lounger were xv nipped in swaddling dollies, uni stowed nw iv ni w um comers Hie motheis xvere doing nil the incidental »»oil-washing Cooking, sowing, house 1 eepmg Alis King, the matron, was nt bei post tending Hip infants, while Ah s ] dumds, the supenntendent exeicised 1 uidli supervision over all, ind cspceinllj bet little ones " as she affectionate!» calls them though the isilum recencs a un ill annual giant fiom the Coi eminent,
it depends niaui'i on loluntir» stibscrip lions foi*" its' minuten ince Mothers also contiibute something towards the suppqrt of childi en left behind them, the amount fiom this source foi list * eli being about ISO --eung th it something bl e one lum died clnldien piss Huotigh the home e»er» xcti, ind tint the cxpenibtuie is little mole Ullin 11000 a xear, the nruiagcmcnt must bo r gai dod as uoiioune
Cn the question of the pioposed found ling hospital, the committee in its last nu mid itpoit silted us follows -
Here is the nut lion of admitting infants un nerón i inioil 1 » ti t tr mothers irtiflciiil feed nil. It-" mit »»¡111 little success in an» Institution in ti c »»orlil tltrpfore to mike a practice of nil milting Iii infai Is oui» uould add considerable to the ix[ellilllliri IS tie» must le «mt out lo mrse As i rule the iniuint »»Inch the mother eau contribute is so small lliat Hie greater portion of tlie expen-o »loultl 1 .»e to 1 e 1 omi b» tile in stitution, and tills tie present slate of the fundí »lill not nlloi» The committee feel ho»ic»er, that »»ith mon -mist.nco from the (,o»ernmelit
nn 1 from til general | ulilie the V ietorlan Infant Vu» lum could 1 e i »limit 1 in sut it a manner as to
ku| I h Hu mt 1 of i founlling lio-pitnl »iliicli is so frequcntl. ure ti 1» lhe li s anil the» »»ollld Mijrgc.t to -II i i en eel ill this iiimni nteus nuis tion Hie ii» ii ill!» of su!poring aml extenliie in exilue in-titiill ii iitler Han to attirait Hie fo mil ni n elf lijôtl er »»lien so man} of tlio.e in our nudst irt Inini crcd 1» dil t