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19
Illustrative Cases —
1. The baby was four months old. It had been left in charge
of its grandmother, who was giving it raw fat bacon to chew.
"There was nothing like it; it was good for babies and for
canaries."
2. The mother boiled cow's milk with a proportionately large
amount of patent barley. The mixture was semi-solid, and could
with difficulty be placed in the milk bottle. The mother explained
that the baby was hungry and required "substance and thickness."
3. A mother was giving her baby, three weeks old, "stout
and aniseed for the wind."
4. The family occupied one room. There were two children,
both alive and both ricketty. The baby was nine weeks old. The
mother fed the baby chiefly on weak tea. "The only thing he
fancies is tea—and he won't go to bed till we go!"
5. The family occupied one room. There were six children,
but only two now lived. The baby was two weeks old, very
hungry, and cried continuously. Its abdomen was very tender.
The mother was feeding it on fine oatmeal. It had diarrhoea.
6. The family occupied two rooms. There were six children,
but only four now lived. The baby was one month old, and had
been left in charge of two children—10 years and 9 years—while
the mother worked from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m., and from 2 p.m. to
6 p.m. The baby was fed on condensed milk, prepared by the
children. It was washed by the mother at night time. The rooms
and the baby were very cleara.
7. The baby was two weeks old, ill and vomiting, and was
having one pint of "sterilised" milk daily. This milk had been
placed on the window ledge, and was covered by a teacup. When
the milk was inspected it was very dirty and much contaminated
by "smuts." The mother was an organ-grinder, and used to
take the baby out in a cradle fastened to the organ from 5 p.m.
to 11 p.m. Each evening she made on an average 5s., and was