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49
births,'' and it applies to any child born '' after the expiration
of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, whether alive or
dead." Liability to a penalty not exceeding twenty shillings is
incurred by any person who fails to give notice of a birth in
accordance with the Act.
The administration of the Act will necessitate the appointment
of an additional Health Visitor, whose duties will be
entirely connected with the visiting at the homes from which
births are notified. This Act, which is the first fruit of the
efforts of the Conference on Infantile Mortality, held at the
Caxton Hall in June, 1906 (at which I had the honour of
representing the Council), will, by giving immediate notification
of occurrence of all births to the Medical Officer of Health,
instead of, as heretofore, waiting until the birth had been
registered (under the Registration of Births Acts, births can
be registered within 42 days from the date of birth), be found
of considerable assistance in the prevention of infantile
mortality.
The Cost of the Milk Depôt.
The financial outlay involved in the working of the Milk
Depôt is a matter of considerable importance. Under present
conditions it is impossible to keep the expenditure within the
income derived from the sale of milk. This is due to the fact
that, in the first place, the milk is sold at a very low rate, so
as to bring it within the reach of those needing it most. And,
secondly, the expenses involved in its production must necessarily
be very heavy, having regard to the elaborate precautions
which have to be adopted to secure a supply of pure modified
milk for infants. Under present conditions it does not appear
to be possible to make Milk Dep6ts pay. The most that can
be hoped for is, by practising rigid economy, to keep the deficit
down to the lowest possible figure.
For the following balance sheet, setting out the income
and expenditure for the year 1907, I am indebted to the
courtesy of the Borough Accountant:—