328 MEDICAL SECTION 



There can be no doubt that the facility in obtaining 

 this breast-milk in small amounts saved many babies' 

 lives. The average expenses for running the Directory 

 have been about 1,300 dollars a year. This includes 

 the board and lodging of the wet-nurses, the salary 

 of the matron (but not the salary of the social worker), 

 and other incidental expenses. 



Up to date the majority of the wet-nurses have 

 been primiparte, their ages varying between 18 and 30 

 years. Among the occupations represented were 

 ladies' maids, mill operatives, and school girls ; 85 

 per cent, of them were single (of the 125 single 

 women, five were married under the care of the 

 Directory). 



The writer anticipated that there would be a large 

 demand for wet-nurses during the fall and summer 

 months, and was surprised to find a steady, though less 

 marked, demand throughout the rest of the year. 

 Many wet-nurses received a position the first day they 

 were admitted to the Directory, but this was not 

 encouraged because the Directory desired to teach 

 them some of the principles of the care of their 

 own babies before they were sent out in a position. 

 They were also taught light housework. 



The wet-nurses were not allowed to take a position 

 in any instance without their babies, and the Directory 

 has been able to accomplish a great deal both for the 

 women and their babies by living up to this rule. It 

 was made for two reasons : first, it is well known that 

 the amount of milk secreted in the normal breast 

 depends in great part on the demand and supply. 

 Usually, when it is necessary to get a wet nurse, the 

 sick baby is so feeble that in the beginning it is only 

 able to take small amounts of milk. Thus, the demand 

 being reduced, the milk tends to dry up. When a 

 wet-nurse is sent from the Directory, she understands 

 that the sick baby is to be nursed first, and that her 

 own child can have what is left. The mother has 



