London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Fulham 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham Borough]
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52
Supply of Milk under the Provisions of the
Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918.
Under the provisions of the Maternity and
Child Welfare Act, 1918, considerable quantities
of milk, for the most part dried milk, are supplied
free, to necessitous nursing and expectant mothers
and to children under three years of age.
The Local Authority is required by the regulations
of the Ministry of Health to ascertain that
need actually exists, and a special Visitor visits
the homes of applicants and reports on the home
circumstances, while the ordinary reports of the
Health Visitors are also available for reference.
A special Milk Sub-Committee of the Maternity
and Child Welfare Committee meets every week
to consider these reports.
The approximate cost of the milk granted free or at less than cost price during 1933 was:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried Milk | 424 | 7 | 6 |
| Wet Milk | 62 | 9 | 11 |
| Total | £486 | 17 | 5 |
Milk is also sold at cost price in cases recommended
by the Medical Officers, Health Visitors, or any
local practitioner or Hospital Medical Officer.
During 1933 under this part of the scheme 6,085
lbs. of dried milk were supplied at a cost to the
families of £533-16-7 as compared with 5,915 lbs.
at a cost of £634-14-6 during the previous year.
My long experience in the Infant Welfare
Centres of the needs of the infant population in
Fulham convinces me more than ever of the
importance of the dried milk preparations on
the market, and the steady influence these have
on the reduction of infant mortality. As I have