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135
FEMALE HEALTH VISITOR AND THE
NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS ACT.
Miss Virtue commenced her duties as Health Visitor on
March 1st, 1909, and from that date, up to the end of
1909, paid 1722 visits, and 665 re-visits, connected with
births, together with 288 special visits connected with the
Milk Depot—making a total of 2675. Prior to Miss Virtue's
appointment, Miss Lawrence acted as Health Visitor from
January 1st to December 31st, 1908, off and on, as her health
permitted. *Both Miss Virtue's and Miss Lawrence's appointments
were temporary, but the experience gained goes
to prove the necessity for the office of Health Visitor to the
Borough being permanently constituted.
Section 6 of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1908, empowers a Sanitary Authority in London to
appoint suitable women (to be known as Health Visitors)
for the purpose of giving persons advice as to the proper
care of young children and the promotion of cleanliness and
such other duties (if any) as may be assigned to them in
accordance with the provisions of such Section. Under the
Section, the Local Government Board has issued an Order,
dated September 4th, 1909, known as the Health Visitors
(London) Order, 1909, and this Order prescribes qualifications,
mode of appointments, duties, salary and tenure of
Health Visitors appointed under it, and directs that no appointment
of Health Visitors shall be made, otherwise than
in accordance with such Order; and states that, if a Health
Visitor is appointed by a Sanitary Authority, with the approval
of the Local Government Board, the London County
Council may pay, out of the County Fund, any sum, by way
of contribution, towards the salary of a Health Visitor appointed
under the Order, not exceeding, in any case, one
half of the amount, though the Board considers that such a
salary should not be less than £100 per annum.
*Miss Lawrence was appointed on October 3rd, 1907, and Miss
Virtue on January 21st, 1909.