326 MEDICAL SECTION 



house was selected, which contains a kitchen, sitting- 

 room, and five bedrooms, four of which are fitted to 

 accommodate two wet-nurses apiece and their babies, 

 while the fifth is for the matron. The next problem 

 was to find wet-nurses so that when the demand came 

 there would be a supply. This was accomplished in 

 two ways : first, the majority of wet-nurses were 

 obtained through the various maternity hospitals in 

 the city of Boston. One of the serious problems of 

 these hospitals is to look after the destitute mothers 

 and babies in such a manner that they will not be 

 dependent on charity , after they have ceased being 

 obstetrical cases. This is impossible in many instances. 

 The mothers and babies are either allowed to shift for 

 themselves and are probably separated, or else they 

 remain in the hospital, where their presence prevents 

 the admission of some other worthy case. As there 

 are very few occupations open to a mother with a new- 

 born baby, wet-nursing is pre-eminently fitted to these 

 cases. The maternity hospitals, therefore, find the 

 Directory a valuable adjunct to their work, both 

 because it takes the place of a convalescent home, and 

 because it supplements the social work that they are 

 trying to do. Most of the wet-nurses are glad of the 

 opportunity for honest work and very few have to be 

 urged. 



Second : Eight thousand postal-cards were sent to 

 physicians in New England stating that wet-nurses 

 might be obtained from the Directory and also request- 

 ing them to send to the Directory any women who 

 were suitable to become wet-nurses. This was in- 

 tended to create a demand as well as a supply. A fee 

 of ten dollars was paid to the Directory for supplying 

 the wet-nurse, and eight dollars a week to the wet- 

 nurse in wages. The baby accompanied the mother 

 in every instance. 



Requirements for Admission to the Directory. 

 Before a wet-nurse is formally admitted to the 



