lo Sept., 1909.] Tlic Lady Talbot Milk Institute. , 549 



At the beginning of January, 1909, tlie Institute commenced its distri- 

 bution of specially super\ised milk in the metropolitan area, concentrating 

 its efforts chiefly in those municipal districts the local councils of which 

 had promised financial aid. Every approved case applying for the milk 

 was supplied until June, when the Board suspended the supply of milk 

 in order to conser\-e its remaining funds, it being realized that the vital 

 value of such milk would be much greater during the coming summer. 



During the five months the Institute was distributing milk 39,594 

 pints were distributed amongst 294 families, at a co.st of ^^659 i8s. for 

 ipilk and jQ"] 4. iis. 6d. for ice. The total amount received for the milk 

 from those supplied on a philanthropic basis was ;^i97 5s. yd. The 

 milk was delivered chiefly in wide-necked pint bottles stamped with the 

 registered design of the Institute and stoppered with ])araffined com- 

 pressed paper wads, over which sterilized paraffin wax was jjlaced to guard 

 against remo\al of the wad before delivery. 



About 300 infants were supplied with milk by the Institute, and of 

 these onh eight died, a record that the subscribers to the Institute may 

 well feel proud of, especially when it is remembered that a large majoritv 

 of the infants when first put upon the milk were already suffering from 

 diarrhoeal troubles due to the defective milk supplied to them during the 

 summer months prior to the commencement of the Institute's supply. It 

 is the earnest desire of the Board that it will recei\-e such support this 

 vear as will enable it to supply the milk before the commencement of the 

 summer proper. aii<l thus anticipate and prevent diarrhoeal diseases amongst 

 the infants of the poorer districts of the city instead of having to o\-ertake 

 and cure them. 



The Government Statist's returns of deaths of infants under twelve 

 months (excluding those in hospitals and public institutions) in the metro- 

 politan districts for the first six months of 1909 are most encouraging, anii 

 the Board looks forward to still better returns being demonstrated next 

 vear, if funds are provided to enable it to supp]\ milk during the whole 

 vear, or at least throughout the whole summer. 



TABLE I. 

 I. — Deaths of Infants under twelve months of age (excluding those in Hospitals 

 and Public Institutions) in Districts in the Metropolitan area during the 

 first six months of each year. 



418 315 364 314 



TABLE II. 



_2. — Number of cases su])j)lie(l by the Institute. 



Cases. Deaths. 



Melbourne ... ... ... 48 ... o 



Fitzroy Citv ... ... ... 26 ... 2 



CoUingwood (Jity ... ... 79 ... 3 



Richmond City 

 Brunswick City 

 Prahran Citv ... 



74 



37 

 South Melbourne City ... ... ig 



294 



