300 THE COMMON SENSE OF THE MILK QUESTION 



the work of the corps of nurses and friendly visitors 

 employed by the New York Association for Improv- 

 ing the Condition of the Poor cannot fail to believe 

 in the practicability of educating mothers. 



In this connection, the much-discussed "Hudders- 

 field experiment" is of interest principally because it 

 points to the union of municipal and voluntary forces 

 in a most successful undertaking. The city is divided 

 into nine districts. For each of these districts there 

 is a voluntary ladies' committee, made up of "lady 

 helpers" and a "lady superintendent." It is the 

 business of these volimtary agencies to cooperate 

 with the officials of the Board of Health in the follow- 

 ing manner : There are two lady doctors appointed 

 by the City Council, working under the immediate 

 direction of the Medical Ofiicer. All births in the city 

 must be reported to the Medical Officer within twenty- 

 four hours, and it is the business of the lady doctors 

 to visit the newly born infants and their mothers at 

 the earliest possible moment. They make it as much 

 as possible a friendly and informal call, giving advice 

 only where it seems to be necessary. They leave 

 with the mothers a few printed rules for the care 

 of the little ones and, if it seems necessary, repeat the 

 visits. Each Saturday the lady doctors place in 

 the hands of each lady superintendent a list of the 

 cases in her district where friendly visits are likely to 

 be helpful and appreciated. These cases are then 



