Continued from here ...

Here's a section of a report from 1918 to the US Children's Bureau on conditions at a baby farm in Maryland:

Screens inadequate. Many flies. Most of the babies’ beds were built with screens, however.

One little child was tied in bed.

A filthy rug was noticed by Miss Emery on a bed. She lifted it and found a baby beneath it. The housekeeper said the rug had been put there because the baby would not sleep in the light.

While Miss Emery was at this nursery from one to five o’clock on Monday July 15th, she said only one pillow was changed.

The nose and mouth of one child were covered with a mass of flies.

The children had no playthings.

An uncovered slop jar on the porch afforded the only toilet facility for the children.

Miss Emery asked for water for the little girl in whom she is interested. The housekeeper said, “We do not give water because water poisons the children.”

Miss Emery said she picked up the little girl, Catherine, in whom she is interested and her legs were numb. She said this little child 15 months old was chaffed and bruised as though it had been whipped.

Miss Emery told the housekeeper the little girl needed a bath and the housekeeper said she did not. Miss Emery asked for water to bathe the child and the housekeeper refused to give it to her, saying that all their water had to be heated in a kettle.

The little girl in whom Miss Emery is interested was given a cup of milk to drink. Miss Emery noticed that the milk was cold (just off the ice) and asked that it be heated. The tin cup was put upon the stove and in a few moments the housekeeper gave it to the child and burned the child’s lips with it. . . .

We had dinner guests last night. Our friend Andy's mother is visiting from England, so joined us ... she's in her 70s ... and as usual the topic of adoption came up in conversation. (I work on adoption issues here in Seychelles, and Andy is on the Board of Directors of the National Council for Children and we talk shop ... a lot.) Margaret was quiet through most of our yacking, but after a while came out with a remarkable bit of information.

A woman she knows through visiting friends in an Old Folks Home (That's still what they call them in Britain.) has lived her entire life in institutions ... she's now in her 80s ... because she had a child out of wedlock when she was young. Being pregnant and not married was enough to have a person considered mentally ill and therefore committed. Her WHOLE LIFE lived in asylums!

According to Margaret, this woman speaks often of her son.