548 Journal of Agriculture. [10 Sept., 1909. 



of the information was that the Col Hn^^w trod Council voteil ^150 to the 

 Institute, Richmond ^100. I'rahran ^50. and Fitzroy £,20. Such readv 

 and hearty co-operation on the i)art of the Councils was most gratifying 

 to the Board, and it is trusted that this mo\ement will meet with the 

 hearty approbation of the ratejjayers, being, as it is, one of the best uses of 

 the city funds to keep sickness and death out of the families of the poor. 



A meeting of medical men practising in the city districts was called by 

 the Board; the objects of the Institute were explained to them, and their 

 active co-operation and assistance were asked for and obtained. 



Two nurses with experience in the nursing of infants were engaged bv 

 the Board to \isit all houses to which the milk was distributed. Each 

 child was visited and weighed by a nurse at least once a week, and in case 

 of sickness the children were seen sometimes twice a day. The excellent 

 work done by the nurses in inculcating habits of cleanliness and fresh air 

 in the various homes that they visited will be of lasting benefit, and the 

 Board feels that this phase of the work of the Institute is of almost equal 

 value to that of distributing safe milk. Every effort w-as made by the 

 nurses to encourage mothers to nurse their baliies, and many children were 

 kept on the breast, instead of being weaned during the hot weather, as the 

 result of the nurses' advice. 



A small booklet drawn up f)n the lines of that issued by Dr. Goler, in 

 Rochester, U.S.A., was distributed freely amongst the poorer families of 

 each district, and judging from the reports of the nur.ses, proved of very 

 great value to the mothers, and through them to the infants. The direc- 

 tions given are simple, and if generally followed would considerably im- 

 prove the lot of the average bal)y. The Board would suggest that the 

 Government of Victoria should print tliis booklet, to be given to e\^er\ 

 parent \vho registers the birth of a child. 



Application forms for the milk were i.ssued bv the Board to be filled 

 up by medical men. and on receipt of these .signed forms the Chairman 

 of the Board instructed the company to deliver an ice chest and milk to 

 the address given on the form ; the nurse was at the same time directed 

 to \isit the house and make a refjort as to the general surroundings, also 

 to instruct the mother as to the proper mt-thod of attending to the ice 

 chest, the milk, and the feeding bottles. The nurse also reported as to 

 the means of the- family, and, wh<'n n<-cessar\, an order was made to 

 deliver the milk free of ("liarge. In most ca.ses, however, the parents 

 were sold coupons at the beginning of the week by the milkmen, and a 

 coupon was left for the milkman to collect as he delivered the milk in the 

 morning. The coupons were made up in sheets of 14 (two rows of 7), 

 each coupon representing ono ])int ol milk, so that a sheet would mean 

 a week's supjjly of one iiiiart dail\, or a fortnight's supply of one pint 

 daily. The i>rice paid 1>\ the lnstitut<' to the Willsmere Company for the 

 milk, pasteurized, bottled, sealt'(l with paraffin wax, and delivered, was 

 41I. a ])int, and the jirice paid In the jiarents was on an average 2<\. a 

 [)int. The sealing with paraffin wax of all 'lx>ttles was insisted upon b\ 

 the Board as being the onl\ method l)\ which the Board could insure the 

 rletection of any tampering with the milk after it left the company's 

 depot. 



The Board fully re<-ogni.sed the fact that (kiiries cannot produce 

 specially supervised milk without additional expense, and feels sure that 

 the general ]niblic will realize this fact, and readily respond by paying the 

 necessar\ advance on the general price of milk for a safe, pure milk for 

 infants. 



