CHAPTER XXXIV.
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH FOUNDLINGS?
The Need of Shelter for Illegitimate Children—Their Numbers in European
Cities—Estimated Number in New York—Number of Still-births—Relation
of Illegitimacy to Crime—Statistics in France—Foundling
Asylums—Terrible Mortality of London Foundling Hospital, also of St
Petersburg and Paris Hospitals—Former Great Mortality of
Infant-Hospital in New York—Recent Improvement—Mortality of the
Massachusetts Alms-house, and in Dorchester Infant-Asylum—Great
Difficulty in Raising a Child without a Nurse or its Mother—Best Course
is, "PLACING-OUT SYSTEM"—Great Success of "Bureau of Ste.
Apolline"—Mortality Greatly Reduced—Children Scattered over
France—The Outlay by the Government—The Moral Effects—This Bureau to
be Distinguished from Private Bureaus—The Boarding out in Hamburg, in
Berlin, in Dublin—The FAMILY PLAN—Tendency of all Civilized Countries
towards this Plan—All the Illegitimate Children in this City might be
Placed out in Country Homes—Duties of the Legislature in regard to
Illegitimacy—Objections to the French Turning-tables—Too Great Laxness
Injurious—The New York Law too Severe………………….pp. 404-417