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101
weight, 43 gained the average weight, and 46 gained less than
the average. Thus, although nearly half were delicate infants,
the large majority gained the average or more than the average
amount.
Mothers were also encouraged to bring their breast-fed babies
to be weighed and for consultation as to feeding. 88 were
brought (58 in 1908), and there were 283 weighings; 44 were
weighed at least thrice, of which 19 gained more than the
average, 10 gained the average, and 15 less than the average.
At these consultations mothers are advised as to the general
management of their infants, and the modification and quantity
of the milk is altered according to the weight and general
conditions of the child. Some very delicate children are unable
to take fresh milk in any form, and for these some form of
dried milk, as Glaxo, has been found useful. If there is any
illness requiring medical treatment, the mother is advised to
take the baby to a doctor. Medical practitioners are beginning
to recommend the particular modification suitable to their
infantile patients, but full advantage is not yet taken of the
facility with which any desired modification of milk can be
supplied at the Depot as desired by the medical man. Frequently,
when a particular modification does not suit, the child
is taken off the Depot and the food changed, whereas probably
it would be safer and more satisfactory to order a different
modification at the Depot.
Diarrhoea in Depot-fed Infants. Full particulars on this
subject were given in my special report on " Summer Diarrhoea
and Notification." It appears that Depot-fed infants only run
one-fourth the risk of getting diarrhoea that other hand-fed
children are exposed to. They have, however, been found
much more prone to this disease than breast-fed children.
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