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Health Visitor.
The following table shows the work done by the Health Visitor during the' year under
report:—
Whole
Borough.
Bermondsey Wards.
Rotherhithe
Wards.
St. Olave
Wards.
5
6
1
2
4
2
3
at.
Olave.
St.
Thomas.
St.
John.
3
1
I
Births Notified—
3
2
292
5
231
103
470
3
4
45
18
By Guy's Hospital
1,569
393
104
119
34
2
By Midwives
737
23
29
63
131
42
176
6
8
167
115
39
137
168
78
27
3
2
By Doctors
855
13
36
701
61
75
101
5
2
-
By Parents
447
17
19
281
48
20
71
390
187
141
58
3,608
523
477
453
351
283
391
332
22
Total
I
—
I
—
Births Visited—
306
106
16
363
252
224
275
242
88
45
Primary Visits
2,756
440
399
1
1
Secondary Visits
9
3
1
1
1
1
-
-
-
-
-
335
68
63
59
25
20
37
22
20
4
14
1
3
Other Calls and Visits
91
423
278
245
313
264
121
19
326
47
Total Visits paid
3,100
511
462
1
1
2
-
20
1
Insanitary Conditions reported
to Medical Officer of Health
-
-
-
12
1
2
-
Number of babies breast fed 2,756
„ bottle fed 123* (53 part breast and bottle)
„ fed otherwise {e.g., spoon) 8
2,625
*Type of feeding bottle used:—Boat shape, 104; long tube, 19.
Children put out to nurse—nil.
The total number of births which took place in Bermondsey last year was 3,842, and of
these 3,608 were notified under the Notification of Births Act, 1907.
There is some difficulty in getting the whole of the cases notified, mainly because the father,
on whom the obligation primarily rests, is able to plead ignorance of the existenca of the Act, and a
great many think they have done their duty when they have registered the birth. In my opinion,
it would have been better had the time allowed for registration been shortened from six weeks to
one, instead of having a special Act. An endeavour is now being made to hunt up delinquents,
and a letter is being sent to the medical practitioners pointing out to them that it is their duty to
inform the father of his duty under the Act, and that the medical man in attendance is not exempt
unless he has reason to believe that someone else has notified.
Of the 3,608 births notified, 2,756 received primary visits from the Health Visitors. There
were very few secondary visits, as one Health Visitor is very little use in a borough of this kind.
Of this number 2,633 were breast fed, so that, with very few exceptions, breast feeding among the
working classes in Bermondsey is the rule. This, however, only continues for a period of a month,
or six weeks at furthest, after which period working mother here find it necessary to supplement
the meagre income by work of some description. Their infants are then left in charge of a
stranger or some inexperienced member of the family, the result being they are artificially fed, and
the wonder is that the infantile mortality is not much greater. It speaks well for the vitality of the
infantile population that they survive the extraordinary methods of feeding to which some of them
are subjected. Any enquiries into the subject of breast feeding and the best methods for ensuring
its continuance will be incomplete if the economic conditions of the mothers is not taken into
account.
At the beginning of this year a second Health Visitor was appointed, so that the next report
no doubt will show a very much larger number of secondary visits.
IV.— FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
In Table X. of the Appendix will be found particulars of the inspections of factories and
workshops, and in the following table particulars regarding the trades and persons employed in
connection with workshops. There were 693 workshops on the Register in 1911. Including
bakehouses, of which there were 76 in use, the total is 769.
OUTWORKERS.
There were 561 outworkers on the Register at the end of 1911. 96 lists were sent in by
firms in this Borough employing outworkers. Table X. of the Appendix shows the various trades
followed by outworkers in this district.