16 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



fants under two years of age. The largest single cause 

 of mortality among these infants is diarrhea and en- 

 teritis, to which one-quarter of the deaths is due. The 

 latest available Census figures (1914) ascribe to this 

 title in the Registration Area 43,532 deaths (under 

 2 years), which argues a total hi the whole United 

 States of some 65,000. It is in this figure that we 

 must look for the effects of bad milk so far as they are 

 reflected in mortality. Unfortunately it is impossible 

 to determine just what proportion of these deaths 

 may be put down to bad milk as compared with such 

 factors as improper methods of feedittg and improper 

 hygiene in other respects. We may, however, turn to 

 some intensive evidence. 



Effects of Feeding Different Milks 



The normal and the best food, by far, for the baby is 

 mother's milk. Such are the difficulties of artificial 

 feeding under ordinary conditions that it is estimated 

 that bottle-fed babies have only one-tenth the chance 

 to live that breast-fed babies have. 5 * 



There are, however, cases in which artificial feeding 

 is deemed necessary; besides which, cow's milk must 

 always play a major part in the weaning of infants and 

 the feeding of young children. Milk for infants should, 

 if possible, be of the highest original sanitary quality. 

 If the raw product is of a lower quality, it should be 

 pasteurized. The evidence is that it should be pas- 

 teurized no matter what its quality. 



* From a careful analysis of a three months' study, the New York 

 City Health Department determined that almost two and a half (2.4) 

 times as many infants were attacked by diarrhea among artificially 

 fed as among breast-fed infants. (Weekly Bulletin, June 19, 1915.) 



