72 ADMINISTRATIVE SKCTION 



are financed by a relatively small group of Cleveland's 

 wealthy and well-to-do men and women, who are 

 sincere in their purpose, who wish the same methods 

 and soundness of principle employed that brought 

 them success in business, and who are interested in 

 the constructive development of the whole health and 

 social field rather than one department of the same 

 to the exclusion of the rest. How such a status of 

 affairs is bound to promote rather than to handicap 

 co-operation amongst the philanthropic health and 

 social agencies can readily be understood. 



Another important factor in making the environ- 

 ment for health and social work better in Cleveland 

 than in most other cities is the awakened and advanced 

 public opinion on health and social matters, and the 

 high intelligence and personal interest of the men in 

 political control of the municipality. 



The first attempt to reduce the infant mortality 

 of Cleveland began in 1902, with the formation of the 

 Milk Fund Association by a public-spirited lady, Miss 

 Edith Dickman, aided by her advisers, Drs. H. H. 

 Powell and J. J. Thomas. During the first two 

 summers the activity of this Association consisted 

 in supplying modified milk to babies who were 

 brought to the physician in charge for examination 

 and treatment. No home visits were made, nor was 

 an education of the mothers attempted. Owing to 

 the great expensiveness of the modified milk but 

 relatively few infants could be cared for, and the 

 Association then decided to change its activity to one 

 of supplying a good raw milk at a low price to anyone 

 who applied. In order to be sure of a good supply of 

 milk, Miss Dickman gained control of a farm and 

 gradually developed therefrom a dairy farm produc- 

 ing from tuberculin-tested cows a milk with a low 

 bacterial count. The development of the farm was 

 a big accomplishment, but it was, of course, the only 

 one, for owing to the lack of funds no investigations 



