London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Poplar 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
15
not only visit homes upon the notification of a birth as previously
mentioned, to advise generally upon the rearing of the infant, but
would also have to visit homes upon the receipt of notices from
schools dealing with verminous children under the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1907, in order that the clothing,
bedding, etc., might be dealt with under the London County Council
(General Powers) Act, 1904.
"In the matter of visiting homes on the return of deaths to
obtain information required by the Home Secretary, for such information
to be of any use it is evident that children must be visited more
than once during the first year after birth and more especially during
the first month of life, for in the Borough of Poplar during the year
1906 822 children died under one year of age, and of these 188 were
under one month.
"Deaths of infants under one year of age, 1906, belonging to the Borough of Poplar:—
| Under 1 week. | 1-2 weeks. | 2-3 weeks. | 3-4 weeks. | Total under 1 month. | 1-2 months. | 2-3 months. | 3-4 months. | 4-5 months. | 5-6 months. | 6-7 months. | 7-8 months. | 8-9 months. | 9-10 months. | 10-11 months. | 11-12 months. | Total Deaths under 1 year. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 33 | 31 | 26 | 188 | 87 | 79 | 63 | 50 | 70 | 38 | 56 | 52 | 53 | 41 | 45 | 822 | ||
"During the year 1906 5,363 births were registered as belonging
to the Borough of Poplar.
"It may be interesting to the Committee to know that recently,
upon enquiries at 26 factories in Poplar where a total of 5,641 women
are employed, 769 are married, or 13.6 per cent.
"In the case of a woman with an infant being employed out at
work, the question naturally arises, when the mother is at work how
is her baby fed and cared for, and if there are other infants how are
they provided for?"
The following letter was received from the Local Government Board,
with reference to the adoption by the Council of the provisions of the
Notification of Births Act, viz.:—