London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bethnal Green 1922
Report on the health of the Borough of Bethnal Green during the year 1922
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established, and the baby has been satisfactorily
reared on breast milk.
" The general level of health among the
babies has been good, taking into consideration
the difficulties arising from the financial straits
of the majority of our mothers and the housing
problem."
SUPPLY OF FOOD.
Considerable use was made of the Council's
Centres for the distribution of food to mothers and
infants.
The following food was sold at cost price:—
| Dried Milk | 17,510 lbs. |
| Condensed Milk | 163 tins |
The following amount was distributed free to necessitous cases:—
| Fresh Milk | 2,264½ gals. |
| Dried Milk | 8,369 lbs. |
| Condensed Milk together with drugs, etc. | 641 tins |
The approximate cost of the milk given to necessitous
cases was £912 Is. 2d. The grants made numbered 2,814.
Each necessitous case was carefully investigated
before assistance was given, and the usual amount
given was 1 lb. of dried milk or 7 pints of fresh milk
per week to each case.
In the latter part of the year, the Ministry of
Health suggested the revision of the scale of income
limits for the granting of milk to mothers and children,
but after careful consideration the Committee
decided that having regard to the economic circumstances
of the Borough, the existing scale was a fair
one and did not require revision.