DR. E. W. HOPE'S PAPER 199 



Foundings at the source, the milk comes through 

 many vicissitudes on its way to the consumer's table. 

 First the milking takes place into a pail, from the pail 

 it is transferred to a strainer, from the strainer to a 

 cooler, from the cooler to the tankard in which it 

 is conveyed to the consumer's door, from the tankard, 

 by means of a measure, to the hand-can, from the 

 hand-can to the jug or basin, and from thence, possibly 

 after transference to another domestic utensil, to the 

 consumer's table. In other words, an article which is 

 particularly liable to bacteriological and other contam- 

 ination, is handled at least six times on its way to the 

 consumer, a method of distribution, it will be seen, 

 infinitely inferior to that of water. 



The importance of purity is accentuated by the 

 fact of the use of the milk by invalids, by children, and 

 especially by infants, to whom it is given as a substitute 

 for mother's milk, frequently in times past with conse- 

 quences the disastrous character of which is familiar to 

 everybody. It is no more a part of Nature's economy 

 for infants to be reared by cows, than, as in the case 

 of Romulus and Remus, that they should be reared by 

 wolves. The food which Nature designed for human 

 infants is essentially different to cow's milk, but, in 

 addition, it must be remembered that it is never once 

 exposed to the air, it passes directly, at the time of 

 manufacture in the gland, to the infant's stomach ; its 

 composition, temperature and mixture adapt it to 

 the needs of the infant ; it has neither abstractions, 

 adulterations, preservatives, nor uncleanliness, and 

 it is bacteriologically clean and pure. 



Depots have been established in Liverpool for the 

 supply, for infants whose mothers are not able to 

 suckle them, of the nearest approach to human milk. 

 Over 20,000 infants have been fed from these depots, 

 the cost of which has been largely in excess of the 

 amount paid for milk. While cost is a secondary 

 consideration where human life is concerned, it is 



