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44
of applicants and reports on the home circumstances,
while the ordinary reports of the Health Visitors are
also available for reference. A special Milk SubCommittee
of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee meets every week to consider these reports.
The figure for the previous year was £553:7:11
although there were actually more individual applications
for assistance during 1932.
Milk is also sold at cost-price in cases recommended
by the Medical Officers, Health Visitors or any
local practitioner or Hospital Medical Officer. During
1932 under this part of the scheme 5,915 lbs. of dried
milk were supplied at a cost to the families of £553 :3 :4
as compared with 6,703 lbs. at a cost of ,£634:14:0
during the previous year.
It may be noted that the sale of milk has steadily
dropped as follows : —
1928 7,896 lbs.
1929 7,432 lbs.
1930 7,294 lbs.
1931 6,703 lbs.
1932 5,915 lbs.
I am more than ever convinced that the question
of the supply of dried rather than wet milk is of the
greatest importance as a factor in the reduction of infant
mortality. It is a waste of public money to supply wet
milk to houses where it is impossible to keep it in a
reasonable condition of purity when there are so many
dried milks on the market prepared by the most up-to-