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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 1935 under this part of
the scheme 5,071 lbs. of dried milk were supplied at a cost to the families of £401 10s. 10d.,
as compared with 4,447 lbs. at a cost of £389 10s. 10d. during the previous year.
Under arrangements made with the Public Assistance Committee of the London County
Council, dried milk is given in exchange for relief tickets in certain cases, and during the
year 454 lbs. of milk were so issued at a cost to the Committee of £35 12s. 10d.
My long experience in the Infant Welfare Centres of the needs of the infant population
convinces me more than ever of the importance of the dried milk preparations on the market,
and the influence these have on the reduction of infant mortality. As I have shown in
previous reports, it is a waste of public money to supply wet milk to houses where it is impossible
to keep it in a reasonable state of purity. Every house into which dried milk is
received from the Borough Council is visited by a Health Visitor, who sees to it that full
information is given as to the necessity for the addition of fresh fruit juice to the diet with
this form of feeding.
The Borough Council supplies a full-cream or humanised dried milk prepared by the
spray method and similar preparations dried by the roller process. It is found that where
one type of milk does not suit a child, almost invariably the other form will prove digestible.
The digestibility of either form of dried milk is greater than that of wet milk.
Recent research has proved conclusively that a large proportion of the population of
Great Britain is suffering from anæmia of one degree or another. A dried milk with which
iron in a digestible form has been incorporated is therefore also utilised, and is found very
useful for mothers during pregnancy and lactation.
CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS.
The Charity Organisation Society, the Invalid Children's Aid Association and the
Invalid Kitchens of London have continued their helpful co-operation. The last-named conducts
its local activities at Bishop Creighton House.
Experience has shown that mothers living in the Wandsworth Bridge Road area of the
Borough find it almost impossible to avail themselves of the dinners provided at Bishop
Creighton House, owing to the distance, and the Council therefore decided to arrange for
invalid dinners to be supplied at 170, Wandsworth Bridge Road. To carry out this scheme
a resident housekeeper, who would also act as cook, was appointed at Wandsworth Bridge
Road Centre. The arrangement with the Invalid Kitchens of London still continues.
Each year the Women's Holiday Fund sends away for a fortnight mothers who would
in ordinary circumstances be quite unable to get any relief from the wearisome round of
domestic duty. The mental and physical refreshment thus gained is of great value. Mothers
are encouraged in the early Spring to consider such holidays, and small payments are taken
weekly, the total amount being assessed on the family income.
MATERNAL MORTALITY.
The Maternal and Child Welfare Department investigates all cases in which women
have died during pregnancy, at childbirth or during the puerperium. Details of maternal
deaths are given on page 35.