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At two of the centres free or cheap dinners are also available for needy
mothers.
There are at present four such Infant-consultations held in St. Pancras, of
which two, namely, that at the Passmore Edwards Settlement, Tavistock Place,
W.C., and the Ilighgate New Town School for Mothers have been founded
during 1913.

It is difficult to over-estimate the value of the work of Infant-consultations,
and it is to be hoped that many more centres will be founded in the
Borough. It is not only the very poor who need the advice and example that
these Institutions afford, but also those working-class mothers who are more
fortunately placed. Indeed it is probably the latter class who are able to
benefit most from advice. In a complete scheme all mothers (in suitable cases)
should be visited by one of the staff of the Borough Council, and Infant-cousultations
should be available within reasonable distance of all mothers who
-can be persuaded to attend.
It can hardly be expected that this can be completely achieved by voluntary
effort, and it is important, if and when, public money is granted for the upkeep
of Infant-consultations that it should be so applied as to link them up closely
with the work of Medical Officers of Health who receive notifications of all
births, and have charge of other measures designed to lessen the illness and
mortality amongst infants.
Motherless children.—There is often great difficulty in getting efficient care
for those infants who are deprived of their mother's attention by death,
sickness, or other causes.
The St. Pancras Motherless Children's Committee opened in August, 1913,
a small house at 59, Clarendon Square, and engaged the services of a " Visiting
Mother," with the object of dealing with such cases, and of ascertaining by
practical experiment on what lines this difficulty might be met. This Committee
has worked in close connection with the officials of the Public Health
Department and of the London County Council.