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151
DAIRIES, MILK-SHOPS AND MILK-STORES.
10 new Milk-shops and Milk-stores have been registered
during 1906, as compared with 7 during 1905, and all existing
ones have been, from time to time, under inspection, as required.
The total number registered up to date is 490.
Municipal Milk Depot.
The Milk Depot, situated at 66, York Road, Westminster
Bridge Road (near Waterloo Station), was opened to the public
on February 12th, 1906, and since then, up to December 31st,
1906 (i.e., 323 days), 190 infants and children have been fed for
varying periods of time, and a total of 102413 bottles of milk
distributed—91127 to the general public and 11286 to the
Guardians.* The 190 infants and children fed belong chiefly to
the poorer classes, including 27 under the care of the Guardians
and 7 connected with a Creche, and were, at the time of commencing
the milk, below the average as regards bodily health—
over 70 per cent, actually suffering from general wasting or
disease. Excluding the Guardians' and Creche cases, so as to
deal only with those infants and children who have been under
inspection as well as fed from the Depot, the statistics are noteworthy,
showing a great lessening of infantile mortality and
morbidity. Thus:—
Corrected rates.
Depot-fed children 47.76 per 1000
Whole Borough 134 per 1000 †
Marsh and Bishop's Wards 187-272 per 1000 †
The varying rates from 47 to 76 per 1000 depend upon the
varying lengths of time during which the infants and children
were fed upon the Depot milk as follows:—
* The weekly average of infants and children fed was 457.
† These are quinquennial rates.