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77
dining-room. Everything is done on simple, unostentatious
lines. Only two women are seen by the
mothers, the woman who cooks and the woman who
serves. In the course of the month, especially during
the winter, they distribute nearly 3,000 meals, and,
according to their last report, each meal on an average
costs them 3d. This institution helps to lower infant
mortality and make the new generation healthy and
strong."
And, unquestionably, the effect would be the same
here; but to induce the mothers to accept such
assistance it would have to be managed in much the
same way. However poor they may be, the mothers
resent impertinent questions about what they consider
their private affairs; though if they feel that they meet
with sympathy and interest they are ready and eager to
talk over their difficulties.
The necessary feeding of mothers being too big a
thing for us to manage, we have done what seemed
possible towards feeding the babies, especially the
delicate, wasting and ricketty ones; and with most
satisfactory results. For these, Virol has been used;
and the improvements noticed has in many cases been
astonishing. When taking this food, the babies are
inspected and weighed periodically; and, after the first
two or three days, many of them almost visibly put on
flesh and gam strength. It is quite usual for them to
gain from £-lb. to 1 lb. in weight for a time, i.e., till
they are approaching or have reached the normal
weight for age, and after this point is reached they go
steadily on. But for the fact that they can be helped