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between six and twelve months. This is an important point,
as the mortality is always much greater in the first period
than in the latter; in fact, no less than 50 per cent, of the
infant deaths occur in the first three months. If the ages of
the Depôt infants and those outside were the same, the figures
would be still more favourable to the former.
3. The Depôt children are all artificially fed, whereas a
considerable number of those outside are fed from the breast.
It is not claimed that the Council's milk is anything but a poor
substitute for human milk. No artificial food can be, or
probably ever will be, anything else. The Depôt children
should be compared with children outside who are fed
artificially. But figures for this comparison are not available.
4. Illegitimate children, formed an undue proportion of
the Depot babies, and it is well known that the mortality
amongst such children is considerably greater than amongst
those born in wedlock. Battersea contains a larger number
of houses registered under the Infant Life Protection Act than
any Borough in London, and many children in these establishments
are fed on the Council's milk.
I think that the above figures, taken together with the
medical testimony, afford substantial evidence that the Depot
has had a distinctly beneficial effect on the health of the
child-population of Battersea, and I have no doubt that when
the system has been in operation for a longer period, and on a
larger scale, even more striking results will be obtained.