View report page

125
N.B.—Of the 9 deaths, all were in infants under 12 months,
viz.:—1 month, 1 month, 1£ months, 2 months, 3 months,
3 months, 4 months, 5 months,' and 6 months respectively. The
stated causes of death were:—measles 1, whooping cough 1,
pneumonia 1, marasmus 5, and convulsions 1.
The mortality rates amongst the Depot-fed infants and
children are lower than those registered in the Borough generally.
As has been pointed out in previous reports in connection
with these mortality rates, allowance must be made for the
difficulties of strictly comparing the rates amongst infants and
children fed upon the milk and under observation for varying
periods, with the rates for the whole, or portions, of the Borough,
for a year or period of years. To be statistically correct, only
those infants or children who have been fed upon the Depot milk
for continuous lengthened periods should be tabulated, whilst
the numbers of deaths that occur during any given period less
than a year should be increased pro rata, when dealing with rates
for a year or period of years. It is assumed that the rates that are
found to exist for short periods would be maintained during longer
periods—an assumption that, in practice, is found to be'warranted.
It must be remembered that, as already stated, the infants who
are placed upon the Depot milk are, as a rule, unhealthy and below
par constitutionally, if not actually diseased, at the time of commencing
the milk, and the longer they use the milk, the better
their chances of life. If some children died during the first month
during which they were taking the milk, it would be misleading
to assume that all children would die at the same rate during the
succeeding period of eleven months.
The most conclusive proof of the value of a Milk Depot, in
so far as the infants and children fed are concerned, is to be found
in the medical histories of individual cases, which show again and
again, in the case of the Depot, that those infants and children
who appear to be seriously ill and wasting, if not moribund, as
the result of improper or irregular feeding, at the time of commencing
the milk, actually recover and become strong and healthy.
The educational value, too, of a Milk Depot must not be
lost sight of.
The net expenditure upon the maintenance of the Milk Depot,
during the year ending December 31st, 1914, is stated by the
Borough Accountant to have been £341 5s. 9d.
£ s. d.
(a) Expenditure 933 17 11
(b) Income 592 12 2
i.e., Expenditure in excess
of Income £341 5 9
E