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weekly returns suitable cases amongst the poor for inquiry, affording
general information in the hygiene of nursing, and directing the
necessitous poor where to apply for such advice and assistance as
may be urgently required in order to maintain breast-feeding.
5.—That it is desirable that medical practitioners, midwives, and nurses,
the staffs of hospitals and dispensaries, and the religious, charitable,
and social organisations should co operate with the municipal
authority in endeavouring to encourage breast-feeding, and to
diminish the infantile mortality.
6.—That it is desirable that any suggestions or arrangements made by
medical practitioners, or by the medical charities, for the purpose of
advising nursing mothers with a view to preventing infantile
mortality, should be communicated to the municipal authority in
order that the)' may be made known through the women inspectors.
7.—That it is desirable that the information should be spread broadcast
that breast-feeding is the most economical, easy, and safe mode of
feeding infants under nine months of age, with a view to reducing
the number of hand-fed sucklings to the smallest proportion possible.
C.—Premature Weaning.
1.—That it is undesirable that a suckling mother should be separated
from her infant, or the infant from the mother, except for reasons
of ill-health and under medical advice.
2.—That it is desirable that when a woman inspector has reason to believe
that a suckling mother is in a necessitous condition and unprovided
with sufficient food to enable her to maintain her own strength and
suckle her infant as well, she should endeavour to prevent weaning
by reporting the case to the charitable organisation most appropriate
to deal with the circumstances.
3.—That it is desirable that when a woman inspector finds that a suckling
mother has insufficient nourishment due to the husband being out
of work, she should report the case to the labour bureau.
4.—That it is desirable that mothers should be urged not to wean their
infants until the ninth month of age except upon medical advice.
5.—That it is desirable that mothers should be warned that the hand
feeding of infants is expensive, troublesome, and unsatisfactory,
risky at all times, and in summer dangerous and often fatal.
6.—That with a view not to cncourage premature weaning, it is desirable
that milk for the hand feeeing of infants provided privately or
publicly by milk depots at or below cost should be distributed upon
the orders of medical practitioners.