New-York tribune., 1906-04-02
eOF INTEREST
TO WOMEN.
THE DROP OF MILK.
II Paris Life SaUing Station for Sick
Babies of the Poor.

Sant mortality in Paris has been found by one
OF the leading childrens doctors here-a very
practical and very simple way In view Of the
fact that il has been for centuries the habt of
! French mothers either 10 put their children out
! 80 nurse from their birth bring them up by
hand Qn either way exposing their infants TO a
Thousand perils). Dr. Variot determined TO direct
all his efforts 70 placing suitable food within the
/ reach Of the poorest parents, with medical su-
pervisiOn a every step Of the way He chose
Bellevile for his experiment, and, with the
happy knack of Frenchmen Of fitting words 10
lsdeas. the title by which his work has come TO
DE known is the charming "Coutte de Lait' the
ks'Drop of Milk" now a byword in other lands
besides France. Untranslated, but adopted. il
has passed the frontier TO Germany. Bulgaria,
1 Servia- Spain England. and even to distant Can
ada Chill and Uruguay
France. with her almost stationary birth rate
fsnd her heavy roll Of infant mortality, offers
plenty of scope for such a work as this of the
Eoutte de Lait Infants brought up by hand
elre always more liable stomach troubles than
those who are nursed by their mothers, and the
y average woman Of the poorest class in France
I has very crude ideas of a suitable dietary for
her infant II is true that the dangerous patent
1oods Tor infants are less popular in France
than elsewhere, but in every great city il is diff
itcult 10 get good milk and Paris is excep-
Esion TO this rule So DIR. Narlot's first work
was 20 md the best kind of steriliZed milk for
his patients And as the sterZing OF milk
figures care and attention, he rejected all proc
Il NhSe6 Tor treating the milk in the homes TO
brand.
This milk is sterilized on the pasture farms
OF NORMANDY where IL is produced,
epossible after the milking, and sent in hermeti-
cslly sealed bottles 10 Paris. The funds Of the
Soutte &c Lait do not allow Of its distribut
Lsng the milk gratuitously. but il is sold TO the
mothers at threepence a bottle Of about pint
1hslf ltrej. the price at which il is supplied
wholesale by the manufacturers, instead of at
tEiKpence. the price at which il is sold in the
Paris shops. The Goutte de Lait, in the thir-
l-fr7c fr GErr-4 49 TaI
10000 ltres Of this milk, with the happiest
possible results -Four thousand children have
Variot has from 80 10 80 children OF varying
s,ages under constant observation and treatment.
A STRICT MILK DIET
But the distribution Of milk is only part of
lahe scheme Of the GoutIe de Lait Of France and
tat Is here that it differs radically from the work
ing Of the milk depot Of the United States.
The Characteristic of the French GoUtte de Lait
IS the constant supervision Of the doctor eK-
4 erted IN Two directions.
i Obviously the healthy baby who is nuTsed by
his mother has 10 need OF doctor, bur At Belle
VILE there such children the regis
tiers PellexiHe mothers are AN poor and are all
forced 10 work outside the home, that they
rUannot nurse their infants and they must leave
,ahem 10 the care either of a grandmother or
some other relative or friend. The child falls
sBtck, ana II is not III then that II is brought 10
the Goutte de Lair.
Z Once in the hands Of the doctor and his
assistants, the child is put on strict diet. Up 10
feight months-in some cases ten-DT. Narlot's
g9t rule 10 see every child once week at least.
s2f necessary the doctors lie daily, but
Echiioren who are making normal progress are
kfnspected once week IN the arms or the
tmother other responsible person. The few
tminutes thus spent in conversation over the
Eatttle patient are utilized TO drive home to these
poor women's minds the importance Of aGhering
Hstr1ctly 10 rules III the treatment Of their chill
fdren pointing out the consequences likely to
6ensue If proper food is not given at the right
sFimes, the necessity of cleanliness etc. The
BeoucatiOnai work carried on al the Goutte de
1nfF fG f, Ffa 1.aE= 10 h
EDut the intelligent cooperation OF the mothers,
fall that the doctor may do is apt TO be stutihed
ITO simplify matters further for the women the
koispensary furnishes practical feeding bottle,
fpn which the quantities of milk to be given
tst different stages Of the chd's growth are
Eclearly engraved. All the women are well
kGTilled ia the of this.
! Lastly. the patients at Beleville are weighed
leach week under the eyes of "A doctor and the
sVaTiations registered on each child's card. To
fshis part Of the programme DIR. Nariot attaches
Ammense Importance. The whole history OF the
achil0s development IS told by the scales; at
the first sign of check thus detected the infant
as subjected TO close scrutiny. and if necessary
SIS placed in the charge of specialists The
tGoutte de Iait has it's own Oculist, auI1st, den
a3ist all Of whom give their services free.
) To a visitor the weighing room is well worth
Hooking into. To say nothing OF the eccentrici-
sties OF toilet exposed IN the hasty undressing
tand dressing-the writer beheld infant Of
feeven months In long stockings kept up by tape
euspenders-there seemed 20 be every kind Of
baby but the beautiful, healthy one Too fat,
or too thin backward IN development or show
: sng signs OF inherited diseases, all these were
a be seen ana one ana ali agreed IN ODlectlnB
fao the weighing operations.
SUPPORTED BY VOLUNTARY GIFTS.
Among the older children in the great consult
sng hall, however, there were some who were
q credit TO the Goutte de Lait. A strong and
active child OF fifteen months who had come TO
the Bellevflle dispensary at ten weeks. IN the
sast stage OF weakness ana attenuation, was
/ sornping with orange. and appeared TO have
quite clean hill OF health, But IL IS not often
that the oispenssry has children on It's books
40 long as that The Belleville population is 8
shifting one, and IL is rarely that child be
kept under observation for a whole year. For
this reason, also, * is impossible 10 establish
/ satisfactory statistics 70 the mortality among
[ the patients All that can be done is 10 register
the exact condition OF all children when first
tbrought 20 the Goutte de Lait, and their weekly
bulletin recorded by the scales with deVel-
sopments ehcited In the consultations.
Supported by voluntary contributions, the
working expenses of this Paris Goutte de Lait
tare very Small. 1t has been installed on the
frreuises of the parish dispensary. by permits
sion OF the Mayor. and all prescriptions can
thus be made up and drugs dispensed by the
schemisf OF the dispensaFy. There happened TO
he CT the back OF the Bellevile dispensary a
large hall which had served as a gymnasium,
hand this was adapted for the purposes OF
ksbe work AT one end is the little window az
f,f1ch the women take their bottles OF milk. In
tfhe middle IS the table at which the doctor and
his assistants sit for their consultations. Each
1,atient is called up by name, and Is brought
s1o by Its mother, or, more often, its grand
fsnother TO be inspected. The elder children know
fyhetr friend WELL and come very readily when
"A stair at the further end OF the great hal
slssds 70 the little bandaging and operating
f,ooms Only slight surgical operations are per
sor7ned here; graYer cases are transferred 20 the
{as1stei There Is also a little bedroom which
f,rsv h-e oocnpied temporarily by any child VINO
SnsT1nnt be moved Immediately after the opera
tfion Everything Is Of the simplest eescrlptlon
- .he yvor1k Is practically the rent. The heat