474 CITY MILK SUPPLY 



being recognized that the maintenance of these depots may properly 

 be one of the municipal health department's functions. 



With regard to the milk stations in the United States a brief state- 

 ment should be made. Their object is to reduce sickness and death 

 among babies which they do by charitable practices, furnishing medical 

 advice and by educative effort among the mothers. Since they aim to 

 reach babies most of their milk is furnished to infants under 1 year of 

 age and practically all of it to children under 3, but some milk is supplied 

 to expectant mothers and to invalids. Almost all of the stations are 

 under medical supervision and in the large ones well-supplied with money, 

 the regular staff consists of a physician, a registered nurse and a matron. 

 As each baby is brought to the station it is given an examination by the 

 physician, it is weighed and its record on the books of the station is 

 started. If the child is in need of medication, it is given. The mother is 

 encouraged to feed the child from the breast but if there is a deficiency of 

 breast milk, enough milk is sold her to eke out the needs of the child or 

 if breast feeding is impossible she is allowed to purchase all the child 

 needs. The milk is usually pasteurized but some stations furnish cer- 

 tified milk and many modified milk. The milk is usually put up in bottles 

 each of which holds a single feeding. Some stations sell milk both in 

 these small bottles and in ordinary bottles. The mothers are instructed 

 in the care of the child, of themselves and in proper feeding of the babies. 

 They are also taught how to modify milk. Generally the great majority 

 of the patrons of the stations use milk and so an ample supply of good 

 clean milk is essential to the success of the station. Milk is sold at 

 cost but even so it often happens that it is higher-priced than dipped 

 milk that is sold in the neighborhood, consequently it has to be made 

 plain to the mothers that it is worth more. Some cannot pay the differ- 

 ence in price and others are too poor to pay at all. Such people must be 

 helped and this is done either from the funds of the station or through 

 the agency of established charities. Ice is necessary to keep milk in the 

 homes but often there is none so that the station has to see that ice is 

 provided and it often happens that a considerable ice charity develops. 

 Usually regular attendance is made a condition of obtaining milk. 



The location of the stations is important; they ought to be placed 

 where there are many babies in need of help. In this matter the advice 

 of the health department is to be sought. The sphere that a station can 

 occupy is limited. About 300 babies is the maximum number it can 

 serve well and a nurse should not be expected to look out for more than 

 100 babies or at most 150. The building occupied should be convenient 

 of access but its rent need not be high. If possible there should be three 

 rooms, a large one for dispensing the milk and for lectures, a room for 

 preparing the milk and a consultation room for the doctor and nurses. 



In opening a new station the patronage must be built up. Conspicu- 



