44 
PROTECTION OF MATERNITY. 
lieve that a change of this system that we now have from private 
to public control will give you any less infant mortality, but it would 
tend to a greater infant mortality, because you will have a system 
that has not worked efficiently in other matters, to take the place 
of a system that has made America what she is. 
Now, in this report that I stated was defeated this year, a few in 
teresting things are worthy of your attention. One is the question 
naire of the physician, and"the other is the questionnaire of the social 
welfare societies. The point is this, that those physicians who replied 
were overwhelmingly against each of the questions put up to them, 
and these social welfare societies were in a majority in opposition, and 
these societies, you will have an idea as to their character, if I shall 
simply name some of them, and they were the Worcester Society for 
District Nursing, the Associated Charities of Worcester, the Instruc 
tive District Nursing Association of Boston, the Brockton Visiting 
Nurse Association, the Lowell Guild of District Nursing and Baby 
Hygiene, the Lowell Social Service League, the Boston Provident 
Association, the Boston Children’s Friend Society, the Newton Dis 
trict Nursing Association, the Visiting Nurse Association of Spring- 
field, the Associated Charities of Boston and the Children’s Home 
Association of Hampshire County. 
Senator Phipps. Is that volume of the report made on this particu 
lar resolution ? 
Mr. Burnstead. That is all the report that they made. 
Senator Phipps. I want to know, is it summarized in any place so 
that we could get a brief abstract of it ? 
Mr. Burnstead. There are some summaries at the back and tabu 
lations. 
Senator Shortridge. What is the publication ? 
Mr. Burnstead. That is the State commission report of Massa 
chusetts. 
Senator Shortridge. And what is it you wish to add in regard to 
these societies ? 
Mr. Burnstead. The answers of those societies are to the various 
questions appearing here, are 5 yes, 6 no; 4 yes, six no; 3 yes, 8 no; 
2 yes and 9 no. 
Senator Phipps. In order to make that intelligent we will have to 
know what the questions were. 
Mr. Burnstead. These answers were based upon 7,402 births during 
the year ending August 31, 1920, which were cared for by these socie 
ties. In answer to the question “Was there in any of these instances 
a failure of proper maternity care during confinement ? ” 5, represent 
ing 6,477 cases; 6, representing 925 cases said no. In answer to the 
question “Was there any instance in which the mother was obliged 
through poverty to get up and be about sooner than the physician 
would ordinarily advise?” 4, representing 5,763 cases said yesj 6, 
representing 1,639 cases said no. In answer to the question “Were 
there cases where definite impairment of health occurred, either of 
mother or child, because of lack of proper care, before, during or im 
mediately after confinement?” 3, representing 5,289 cases said ves; 
8 representing 1,426 cases said no. In answer to the question “Was 
there any instance where failure of prenatal advice and instruction 
resulted in danger to the health of mother or child?” 2, representing 
5,041 cases said yes, 9 representing 1,674, cases said no. In answer