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In one case a midwife was cautioned by the Committee for leaving without medical assistance an
infant suffering from inflammation of the eyes.

The Council was asked by the Board to report in three months' time as to the conduct of the
three midwives who were cautioned and also as to the practice of a midwife cautioned by them in the
previous year (1907) In three out of the four cases, it has been possible to report that a marked
improvement had taken place. The remaining case (the last in the above list) is still under consideration
by the Board.
During the year, a midwife whose name was removed from the roll in 1907, applied to the Board
for restoration ; reports as to this woman's practice showed that she was still unsatisfactory and the
Board refused to restore her name to the roll.
Some eight midwives were reported to be more or less illiterate, but their case books and registers
are usually entered up by their relatives and the notices regularly sent in. Several midwives who showed
themselves unacquainted with the use of the ordinary appliances or who were unable to make proper use
of a clinical thermometer, received individual instruction from the Council's inspectors, and in some cases
where there had been infringements of the rules owing to ignorance, the midwives were advised to attend
a course at one of the Council's classes for midwives.
There are 18 Jewish midwives who practice amongst the Jewish population in East London.
The Jewish Board of Guardians assisted the Council by preparing a translation into Yiddish of the rules
as to the duties of midwives, and copies of these rules were supplied to the Jewish midwives. Two
Italian midwives attend women of their own nationally in various parts of London.
Fees charged by Midwives.—The fees charged by midwives vary in different localities from
5s. per case upwards, but as a general rule, a fee of 7s. 6d. (or 10s. if patient be a primipara) is expected
Fees of 15s. and even up to £1 1s. have been paid to a midwife on rare occasions. The charities
employing midwives pay 5s. or 6s. per case and provide the necessary drugs, registers of cases, etc.
It is apparent from the number of cases attended by midwives as stated below, that only a
small proportion of midwives can depend solely upon their practice for their livelihood, and many
supplement their incomes by other means. A few keep lying-in homes and others are registered under
the Infant Life Protection Act to take charge of nurse children. Some of those midwives who have
an extensive practice are approved by the Central Midwives Board as qualified to give practical
instruction to pupil midwives, and receive fees from the pupils for this instruction.
The lying-in hospitals in London receive into their wards some 5,000 women annually and provide
for attendance on about 19,000 in their own homes. The latter cases are conducted almost
exclusively by midwives. Some of the hospitals pay the midwife a fee for each case, while others pay
a fixed salary The patients are not as a rule expected to pay for the services rendered by the district
midwives attached to hospitals, and in the case of institutions there is either free attendance or a
nominal fee.
Having regard to the provision made for the free attendance of labour cases in London, to the
number of midwives practising in London, and to the fact a midwife can only attend normal cases,
and, if any abnormality occurs, medical help must be summoned and a medical man has to be paid in
addition to the midwife, it is not surprising that many midwives find great difficulty in making a living.

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