Report of the Medical Officer of Health upon the work of the depots for the preparation of humanised sterilized milk for the use of infants whose mothers are unable to suckle them.

  • Liverpool (England). Medical Officer of Health.
Date:
1904
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health upon the work of the depots for the preparation of humanised sterilized milk for the use of infants whose mothers are unable to suckle them. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    12/24 (page 12)
    and the card of instructions is explained to her. Every effort is made to induce the mothers to bring their children to be weighed at least once a fortnight. It is difficult, however, for some to do so, owing to the distance at which they live from the depot, and some are indifferent. A considerable number, however, take a keen interest in their children’s progress, and bring them more or less regularly to be weighed. 1 rouble is occasionally experienced with the very ignorant class, who will persist in decanting the milk out of the sterilized bottle into one with a long tube. For the purpose, therefore, of seeing that tin* milk is properly used, the female inspectors visit from time to time the houses where it is likely that the milk is misused. Also in cases where the mother says the child does not like the milk, or does not appear to be thriving on it, a visit is paid, and if a doctor is not in attendance the mother is advised to call one in. It will be readily understood that under these circumstances it is a difficult matter to compile statistics that will give a correct idea of the value of the results obtained. Dr. Mussen has carefully followed up a number of the infants using the milk, for a period of three months and upwards. The total number of children included in his observations is 360. Xo attempt has' been made to select the cases, which were taken consecutively, and all have been included whose progress, whether good or bad for that time, could be ascer- tained. It may, therefore, be considered a fair indication of the general progress. AY hen one considers that the average weights of the infants when admitted were far below the average of healthy infants of the same age, and also that a considerable percentage of them were seriously ill when admitted, the results are very satis- factory, showing as they do in the large proportion of cases an approximation to the normal standard. Xow let us consider the whole of the figures for what they arc worth. Without attempting to draw too close deductions, the fact stands out that out of the 4,453 infants coming very promiscuously to the depots, at varied ages and in conditions of health below the average,