2 
1918 was 283.9 quarts, as against 308.3 quarts in 1917. While the average daily 
decrease from last year’s figures for families using some fresh milk is only 9.7 
per cent, it must be remembered that the average amount of milk used last year 
(1.12 quarts daily per family of six) was far below the quantity recommended. 
These figures seem more significant when it is considered that 753, or over 
46 per cent, of the total number of individuals in all the families studied are 
under 8 years of age. Of the 94 families who decreased the amount of milk 
purchased, over 88 per cent have children under 2 years of age. Though, on 
the other hand, 78 families, 94.9 per cent of whom have children less than 2 
years of age, are buying more milk, 100 families are buying the same amount 
as last year, and in 70 out of these 100 families there is a baby under 1 year 
of age. This suggests that the milk formerly received by the older children 
has been diverted to the use of the baby. 
The decrease in the amount of fresh milk bought by all families has been 
accompanied by an increase of 24 per cent in the amount of canned milk pur¬ 
chased. While canned milk takes the place of fresh milk to some extent, it 
is by no means as desirable a food for young babies. 
The size of the family income seems to be an important factor in determin¬ 
ing the quantity of fresh milk used. The poorest families show the greatest 
decrease in the amount purchased. Of 210 families with average weekly in¬ 
comes of $20 and less, 24.8 per cent have increased their milk purchase since 
last year, 38 per cent have decreased, and 37 per cent have made no change; 
while of the families with incomes of more than $20, 42.9 per cent are buying 
more milk than last year, 25.7 per cent less, and 31.4 per cent the same quan¬ 
tity. Though the number of families receiving free milk has more than 
doubled this year (1917, 4; 1918, 9), it remains very small. 
The findings for Washington gain added meaning when it is considered that 
the families studied perhaps use more milk than others of the same economic 
status. Since 66.2 per cent of the 272 families covered by the survey were 
being visited by the Diet Kitchen Infant Welfare nurses and the remaining 
33.8 per cent were on the list of the Instructive Visiting Nurse Association, it 
may be assumed that all the mothers had been instructed in the importance 
of milk and would make sacrifices to keep it in their children’s diet. The 
high percentage of young babies who are receiving milk is doubtless due to 
the influence of the nurses, and is evidence of the value of the educational 
work that can be done by the infant welfare nurse. Very serious, however, 
is the lack of milk for children over 2. There is grave cause for concern in 
the fact that, among the families studied, the children between 2 and 7 who 
last year were getting less than half (45.1 per cent) the milk they should 
have are receiving this year only one-fourth the desirable allowance, while 
fully one-third the babies under 2 are receiving an amount insufficient for 
proper nourishment. 
Children and adults in families studied. 
Total number of families studied-•- 272 
Total persons in families studied-1, 628 
16 years of age and over- 614 
8 years of age, but under 16-J- 261 
2 years of age, but under 8_ 482 
Under 2 years_ 271 
%• 
D* ®* 
SEP 1« 1*18 
