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These examples will suffice to show the place that still remains
for practical common-sense instruction.
Sixteen mothers were using cow's milk, 7 used condensed milk,
diluted with water or barley water.
Five mothers were using the condemned type of bottle with a
long tube. The Public Health Department supplies an approved
bottle to mothers at cost price, and gratis to those who cannot
afford to pay. Fourteen of the babies 'bottles were dirty. The
milk, for the household generally, was in 158 cases stored in dirty
uncovered milk jugs; in 176 households the kitchen feeding
utensils—the cups, saucers, plates and jugs were dirty.
In 93 cases the milk was kept continuously on the table, the
mantelshelf, or on the "dresser," in 36 cases in a cupboard.
It appears then, that whereas much and increasing attention has
been given to the cleanliness of the babies' bottles, much still
remains to be done in improving the domestic cleanliness in poor
homes.
Not uncommonly it was found that the baby's milk was being
kept in what may be termed the official beer-jug, and when this
was wanted to fetch ale, the milk was placed temporarily in an
empty jam-pot or basin. It was quite rare to find the household
milk covered in, not even while sweeping and dusting were in
progress. The Public Health Department now supplies milk jug
covers to poor mothers and specially distributes them in June of
each year to fend off flies during the hot months.
As long as breast-feeding continues, the baby is comparatively
safe, but when the mother returns to the strenuous household
duties or to her task as an outworker—and the baby is in consequence
partially or entirely weaned, then the situation becomes a
dangerous one for the infant.
Very few of the children were breast-fed until the ninth month,
The reasons given for early weaning were various—worry, illness,
insufficient food, return to work, no breast milk, and insufficient
breast-milk.