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before milking. The milk is frequently examined, and always found
to be of good quality. It usually gives about 4 per cent. of fat
After cooling it is delivered at the Depot by cart every morning
within an hour of milking. The cows are frequently inspected by
the London County Council veterinary inspectors and have been each
time pronounced healthy.
Home Visiting. The homes of infants are always visited by Miss
FitzGerald after the child commences the milk and the visits are
repeated at intervals according to the needs of each case, and when
Miss FitzGerald can spare time from her other work.
The printed instructions are explained and the importance of
strictly complying with them enforced. Sometimes it is found that
the milk is poured from the bottle, in which it is sent, into a feedingbottle
with a long tube. This undoes much of the good of Depotfeeding,
giving opportunity for home contamination of the milk.
Some mothers need to be continually warned against giving other
food besides the milk. Miss FitzGerald also notes whether the food
is agreeing with the child and reports if a different modification
seems to be required. The food cannot be regulated purely by the
age of the child ; some want more and some want less than the
average.
Numbers Fed. The Depot has not been publicly advertised, and
indeed, the object has been to make it known only to medical practitioners
and others likely to meet with children who could not be
satisfactorily fed at the breast. Many mothers who applied for the
milk while they were still able to suckle their infants have been
refused. Notwithstanding, the numbers very steadily mounted up
from 49 on January 1st, 1907, till in the middle of the year they
reached 128 infants supplied daily. After that there was a slight
decline, and on December 31st 117 were having the milk. When the
Depot was first proposed I estimated 120 as the maximum number
likely to make use of it, and certainly did not expect this figure to be
reached so quickly. 264 new infants were taken on in the year and
196 discontinued. Altogether, 313 children were fed during the year.
Duration of Feeding. Of 196 who discontinued taking the milk
in 1907, 18 gave it up within one week, and 38 more before the