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33
THE ST. PANCRAS PREVENTIVE SCHEME.
The St. Pancras preventive scheme of infantile mortality is briefly as
follows:—
1. Notification of Births.—From these are selected the most suitable cases
to visit, commencing with the poorest houses in the poorest streets.
2. Advice Cards to Mothers.— A copy of the Advice Card is sent to the
mother of every newly-born child as soon as the birth is notified. Supplies of
these cards are also sent to the medical practitioners, hospitals, dispensaries, and
midwives for distribution.
3. Medical Advice.—In cases where mothers are suffering from disease they
are referred to doctors, hospitals, and dispensaries, and where mothers are in
need of extra food and milk to continue breast-feeding they are referred to
religious and charitable organisations, and especially the St. Pancras Schools
for Mothers.
During the year, as previously, the work of the Woman Inspector in
advising expectant mothers and in correcting defective and improper feeding
has been supplemented by assistance received from a number of lady voluntary
visitors. The St. Pancras Mothers' and Infants' Society, supported by
voluntary contributions and voluntary workers, with its SCHOOL FOR
MOTHERS at No. 1, Ampthill Square, supplements the municipal work,
and is doing a great good in the southern part of the Borough.
In 1911 a North St. Pancras School for Mothers was started by a Committee
of Ladies and Gentlemen, who obtained the use of a large room at 4, Rhyl
Street, Maiden Road, Kentish Town. This new School is doing excellent work
and increasing rapidly.
REPORT OF THE WOMAN INSPECTOR AND HEALTH VISITOR.
Report of the work done for the Prevention of Infant Mortality in the Borough
of St. Pancras during the year 1912.
The work has been done on the same lines as in previous years, though the
numbers of infants visited have been somewhat smaller than usual, owing to
the diminution of help from qualified voluntary visitors during the past year.
This is to be partially accounted for by the increased number of Boroughs
which have made use of the services of newly qualified unpaid workers in
this way, and partly by the decrease in the number of educated women who
are entering the Public Health Service.