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personal visits. I attribute much of the success of the Depot
to these personal visits and assistance. They have been of
the greatest value to both mothers and infants. Since July the
whole of this part of the work has been done by Miss Frith,
who is a certificated hospital nurse (St. Bartholomew's Hospital),
and certified under the Midwives Act 1902. She instructs the
mothers as to points needing their attention, and visits each
home at least once a week to see that the instructions are being
properly carried out. She keeps a visiting diary in which periodical
notes respecting each child's progress are kept; she also keeps
a register and account book of payments for the milk. Miss Frith
has devoted practically the whole of her time to the work of the
Depot.
The Depot has not been generally advertised in any way.
Circulars have been sent to the medical practitioners in the district,
the neighbouring hospitals, the clergy, etc. Notices have also
been affixed in the birth-register offices by the courteous consent of
the Registrars. But it will be understood that not all mothers
unable to feed their infants are willing to conform to the somewhat
stringent conditions of the Depot, and the Committee have
been in no hurry to admit large numbers of infants. They have
been satisfied to deal with a few cases in a thorough and scientific
manner rather than work a general sort of depot for all who chose
to apply. The reasons for which mothers sought the Depot were
as follows:—
Mothers who had no breast milk 74
Mothers who had an insufficiency of milk 24
Abcess of the breast, &c. 13
The breast milk not agreeing with the infant 10
Infants unable to suckle or otherwise defective 6
The mother at work 2
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It may be said that 37 per cent. of the children on the Depot
were introduced by the Lady Sanitary Inspectors of the Borough
Council, 33 per cent. were introduced by medical practitioners in the