86 INFANTS' MILK DEPOTS 



public schools over twelve years of age on the care of babies. Noth- 

 ing very much came of it either in interest or results. This last 

 spring during the month of May we had a lecture given in every 

 public school in New York to the girls over twelve years of age, and 

 strenuous efforts made to fprm Little Mothers' Leagues in all schools 

 where their need seemed indicated. These leagues were formed in 

 practically all of the crowded sections of the city. The girls met 

 once a week, elected their own president and secretary, were provided 

 with certificates of membership, quite official looking documents. 

 For attendance at these meetings the members were given a silvered 

 badge and the president a gilt badge. The doctor and nurse were 

 the honorary president and vice-president. The meetings were held 

 once each week and the children were actually taught to prepare 

 food for infants, the methods by which milk could be modified, the 

 exact method in which a baby should be bathed, and all simple funda- 

 mental rules of hygiene and sanitation of the home. The results have 

 been brilliant. We have no statistical results except the statistical 

 fact that we had over 22,000 members whose interest kept up during 

 the entire summer, and that a large number of leagues are still meet- 

 ing during the winter to form the nucleus of more leagues next sum- 

 mer. In New York City the child of twelve years or over in the 

 crowded sections practically takes care of the family. The mother 

 in many instances is intensely ignorant and in many instances unable 

 to speak our language. In all infant mortality work it has been my 

 experience that the older child in the family is the vulnerable point 

 of attack. We are not only working for the present with the child, 

 but we are doing what is far more valuable to my mind we are work- 

 ing for the future. W>e are dealing with potential mothers and we are 

 doing double work. I do not believe that there is any phase of the 

 work that can be made of greater value than this work among the so- 

 called little mothers. 



Dr. Ira S. Wile, New York: The paper of Mr. Phillips, which 

 covers almost the entire subject of milk depots, omits the discussion 

 of one or two points which seem important. Firstly, a milk station 

 does not essentially mean artificial modification in the home. Breast- 

 fed children are more welcome to the milk station than the artificially 

 fed. No child should receive milk until all the tests have been ap- 

 plied to prove that the mother herself is not able to supply the milk. 

 Many of the mothers are obliged to go to work and they are not able 

 to nurse the baby excepting before they go to work and after they 

 return home; and during the part of the day intervening the child 

 is put upon modified feeding. 



Another point is the milk stations are not for the care of sick chil- 

 dren. They are institutions for the purpose of keeping children well 

 and not for the purpose of curing children that are sick. That is 

 one of the reasons I object to the term "milk clinic." Clinic is asso- 

 ciated in the minds of the people with sickness. 



The third function of the milk station is to teach during pregnancy 

 the preparation of the breasts for their functions. Instructions should 

 likewise be given at milk stations in everything pertaining to health. 

 If you can get fifty mothers to come once a week to hear about hous- 

 ing conditions and regulations, dietetics, economics, it will make better 

 mothers of them. I am sure that such education has in many districts 

 absolutely lessened the amount of infant mortality. 



Dr. J. H. Mason Knox, Jr., Baltimore: I should like to express my 

 sincere appreciation of Mr. Phillips' excellent paper. I am particu- 

 larly interested in the success which he has had in feeding the babies 



