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18
We have frequently seen the amount of milk increased when
the intervals between the suckling are increased. Frequent feeding
ha«e an injurious effect both on the infant and on the milk supply,
tending to cause both a shortened period of lactation and to induce
unsatisfactory nutritive conditions in the child owing to a deficiency
of fat.
Eleven cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum Were notified;
one of the children was admitted to the Infirmary and died there of
Mulnutrition.
Nine of the others had only a very slight discharge and swelling
of the eyelids and all recovered completely; one of them had a
consolation prize in the Daily Sketch Baby Competition.
There was only one very severe case; both the mother and
child were admitted to St. Margaret's Hospital and Iridectomy
performed. They were in the Hospital for two months, but the
child has now recovered and the eyes are not permanently injured.
Milk Supply.
There was only one cowkeeper in the district and during the
year he discontinued the keeping of cows.
There were 75 registered milksellers in the district, but some
have discontinued, and others have started selling milk during the
year. The actual number of premises on which milk was sold
varied from 63 to 67.
On another page the retail price of milk in Acton during the
year is given and the price varied from 7 pence to one shilling a
quart.
Figures are available of the amount of milk sold in the district
each week during January, October, November and December,
and also for the weeks ending February 1st, 8th and 15th, August
30th, and September 27th.
In these periods there were two abnormal weeks—week
ending August 30th, owing to the holidays, and week ending October
3rd, owing to the Railway Strike, and these weeks have been excluded
from the following figures.
We have then 8 weeks when milk was retailed at 3s. 4d. a
gallon, 4 weeks at 3s. 8d., and 9 weeks at 4s. a gallon. It is