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"Altogether we have had 15,000 first weighs of babies, and with
re-weighs (mothers have brought infants two or three times for reweighs
during the periods of our schemes), we have used the scales
on at least forty thousand occasions, and had visits of mothers to a
total of twice that number.
"As we only desired to record children up to one year old, and as
we had hundreds over that age too heavy for our scales (top weight
26 lbs.), all our figures are incomplete as showing the number of
infants brought to the depots.
"This is to us not a matter of moment, as we obtained our
information as to feeding and by object lessons demonstrated the
essential difference between "machine skims" and "full cream."
"Machine-skimmed milk, other than the condensed variety, was
very rarely met with in the districts visited, in so far as infant feeding
was concerned."
"The ignorance of poor mothers as to what constitutes a proper
diet for their offspring, the pitfalls of "fake" foods and colourable
imitations of genuine foods, all call for the close and unremitting
attention of public authorities; and that the evils are no worse than
they are is due to the proper fulfilment of these duties to the letter by
responsible officials. The remedy to a greater extent lies with the
Legislature, and as great a necessity of the present day is for a " Whole
Milk" Bill as for a "Pure Milk" Bill. Stoke Newington offers an
instance of an exception to a rule, for whilst other districts have
recorded at our depots a considerable proportion of machine-skimmed
milk (condensed) fed babies, at our local depot in Stoke Newington
Road, we have had practically none but healthy, sturdy babies, well
ted and well tended."
During the year the number of visits paid by these voluntary
workers, in respect of births, infant deaths, and sufferers from consumption,
amounted to over 400.
Senile Mortality.— Of the 595 deaths 219 were of persons over
65 years of age. The proportion of deaths occurring among those of
over 65 years of age to the total deaths is, therefore, 36.8 per cent.