CO129-378 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [6-7] — Page 319

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for infants or adults. This being so, if it is now made public

that it is considered by the medical members of the Sanitary

Board that the use of some of the condensed milk the Chinese

have been accustomed to use, is injurious to their infants, they

are likely to hesitate before buying any kind of condensed milk,

whether or not it is marked as "unsuitable for infants".

The minutes made by the Honourable Mr Hewett, and by Mr Lau

Chu Pak, were very much to the point. The former evidently saw

at once that if no special regulations had been made in England,

with regard to condensed skimmed milk, otherwise than a

requirement that it shoul be labelled as such, it could not

be necessary or advisable that other special regulations should

be made here. The latter saw also that unless it were found,

upon the milk being analysed, that it might be injurous as food

for infants, or be wanting in some necessary respect, the trade

in it ought not to be restricted.

It should be borne in mind, moreover, that Chinese mothers

invariably nurse their own babies, unless they find it impossible to do so, in which case they have no difficulty

whatever in finding a wet nurse. It is very seldom indeed the

case that a Chinese infant in arms is raised by the aid of a

'bottle'. The reference by Dr. Clark to infants was no doubt

intended to be to infants in armas, and not to those who have

been weaned. But, should he have intended to refer also to the

latter, it is obvious from the copy report of one of the leading medical practitioners of the Colony (Dr. Stedman), sent herewith that skimmed milk is very far from being unsuitable food for

children above the age of one year.

The report, referred to, of Dr. Stedman relates only to the

particular brand of condensed skimmed milk sold by our clients,

Messrs W. G. Humphreys & Co; but, in addition to that report,

we have the honour to also send herewith copy of a report made

by the well known German medical practitioners of this Colony,

3.