View report page

15
Of the 145 deaths of infants during the year it was possible for the lady
Inspector to make enquiries and obtain details respecting 123. Sixty-two out of the
123 or just over 50 per cent. were artificially fed. Of these, only 11 were fed with
tube bottles. This great diminution in the use of tube bottles is partly due to a
cheap boat bottle now obtainable, and partly to an increased realisation of the danger
of tube bottles. Only 7 mothers worked in a factory or workshop during the child's
life; 15 others did charing, selling flowers or other work outside the home, and 5
were engaged in home work. Only 20 were prevented by their work from properly
attending to their children. 22 of the children died in hospital or infirmary, the
majority of whom were already in a dangerous condition when taken to the hospital.
Of the 19 deaths from diarrhoea and enteritis respecting which enquiries were made,
only 3 of the infants had been naturally fed, in 5 cases tube bottles were used, in 8
cases boat bottles, and in the remaining 3 cases patent food was used.
In the months of July, August and September, 1904, out of 46 enquiries
respecting the deaths of infants under one year of age, it was found that as many as
36 or nearly 80 per cent. were artificially fed, and as many as 24 of the deaths
were from summer diarrhoea.
In order to reduce the large amount of preventable illness, and the enormous
sacrifice of infant life due to the improper feeding, modified milk has been provided
in a great many towns in European countries and America. In England, various
milk depots have been established. Those in London being Battersea, Fulham,
Lambeth and Woolwich, the last of which is not yet completed.
As a supply of modified milk by this method in Holborn would be very costly,
I endeavoured to arrange with the Express Dairy Company, Limited, to supply
modified milk for infants of the working classes for about the same charges as
at municipal milk depots. After much consideration, the Company agreed to
supply it at the reduced rate of 4d. (instead of 6d.) per day per infant. This
prepared milk is supplied as at municipal milk depots in bottles in a basket, each
bottle contains sufficient milk for one meal, the number of bottles and the modification
of the milk varying with the age of the child. The milk is thus kept clean and
free from infection or contamination.
The Public Health Committee and the Council have recently agreed for this to
be supplied at the Company's depots in and near the Borough, on the production of
a certificate to be obtained from the Medical Officer of Health.
As instructed, a leaflet has been printed and is about to be circulated advising
the use of prepared milk for infants who cannot be breast fed and giving information
as to the facilities offered for obtaining such milk at a low price.