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51.

In addition to the milk supplied free or at a reduced
rate under the stringent conditions that have been
described, milk is also sold at cost price in
cases recommended by the Medical Officers or
Health Visitors. During 1930 under this part of
the scheme 7,294 lbs. of dried milk were supplied at a
cost to the families of £672 : 13 : 8, as compared with
7,432 lbs. at a cost of £711 : 10 : 11, during the previous
year.
It will have been noticed that stress has been laid
on the provision of dried milk rather than fresh milk.
The reason for this is, that under poor circumstances,
and in such homes as shelter many of the children
dealt with under the Maternity and Child Welfare
scheme, it is quite impossible to keep fresh milk in good
condition, and there is continuous liability to its being
contaminated by dirt and the germs of disease.
The probability of such contamination is
greatly decreased when dried milk is used. It seems
probable that the use of dried milk in such circumstances
has been an important factor in the reduction
of infantile mortality in the country as a whole. The
mothers are carefully instructed by the Health Visitors
in the use of fresh fruit juice as a necessary adjunct to
the dried milk that we supply or recommend. Oranges
and tomatoes are obtainable at reasonable prices all
the year round now in London, and very few mothers
find difficulty in providing these for their babies.
Home Nursing.
Home nursing is provided by the Borough Council
for persons requiring such attention and unable to pay
for it privately. There are three groups of cases
included in the Council's scheme:—certain illnesses in