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24
receive milk as required, and that is the important point. At the same
time, as was to be expected, the numbers of new cases now being registered
(last few years) at the Milk Depot are decreasing, but these
lessened and lessening figures must be read in conjunction with the
figures tabulated under the Lambeth Milk Assistance (Free and Aided
Supplies) Scheme, a large number of the infants and children and
mothers having been automatically transferred from the Milk Depot
Register to the Milk Assistance Scheme Registers connected with the
three Welfare Centres, which are situated in the immediate neighbourhood
of the Milk Depot (York Road), and which now have to
administer the Lambeth Milk Assistance Scheme within their own
three respective areas, instead of, as previously, such Centres obtaining
their milk supplies from the Milk Depot direct.
Whatever views may be expressed elsewhere, the Lambeth experi
ence is very definitely in favour of the inestimable value of milk as the
sole food for infants under the age of six months, and as an additional
(or supplementary) food for infants between the ages of 6 and 12 months,
and for children between the ages of 1 and 5 years. As to these facts
there can be no doubt.
Artificial feeding is only used when absolutely necessary. Every
endeavour is made to encourage and maintain natural feeding in all
cases if at all possible.
As was to be expected, and as already stated, the inauguration of
the Lambeth Milk Assistance Scheme (inaugurated with the approval
of the Ministry of Health in 1918) has led to the lowering of the
numbers of mothers and infants and children actually attending the
Milk Depot, the milk being now obtainable more conveniently locally
from one or other of the various milk retailers appointed by the Council
in connection with the respective Welfare Centres, one of the many duties
of which is to carry out, within their own areas, the provisions of the
Lambeth Milk Assistance Scheme. The Milk Depot is still available
for special cases, which require medically-prepared milk mixtures, which
are obtainable thereat. The ideal Scheme would be for all milk
to be issued from the Milk Depot and sent round to the various
Welfare Centres as distributing branches, but the expenses connected
with such a scheme would be considerable, and would be, doubtlessly,
objected to by the Trade as municipal trading. It must be remembered
that the Milk Depot has done pioneer work, justifying its
inauguration in 1903, but, in the future, the Lambeth Milk Assistance
Scheme will extend similar work to that of the Milk Depot throughout
the Borough—work, which has been restricted in the past, to the
immediate neighbourhood of the Depot (York Road, Westminster
Bridge Road) at the extreme northern end of the District, and available
only, practically, for North Lambeth (Marsh, Bishop's and Prince's
Wards).