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
Croydon 1909
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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30
MIDWIVES ACT, 1902.
An inspection of the midwives was carried out by Dr. Jackson
on two occasions.
During the year information was obtained as to the proportion
of births attended by medical men, by registered midwives and by
unregistered women. The total number of births investigated was
4,022. The results may be summarised as follows :—
Number attended by medical men 2404
Number attended by registered midwives (including
cases in which medical man was called in
for some emergency) 642
Number attended by unregistered women 608
Removals, insufficient address, etc. 368
Total 4022
In the case of the births attended by unregistered women the
names and addresses of the persons attending at the confinement
were ascertained.
In a large number of instances "a friend or "neighbour" assisted, but it was evident that a considerable number of women were carrying on the business of midwifery nurses, though their names were not on the register. Thus :—
| 1 woman attended | 58 cases |
| 1 „ „ | 41 „ |
| 1 „ „ | 36 „ |
| 1 „ | 31 „ |
| 1 „ „ | 27 „ |
| 1„ | 25 „ |
| 1 „„ | 16 „ |
| 1 „„ | 14 „ |
| 1 „ | 13 „ |
| 1 „ „ | 12 „ |
| 1 „ | 10 „ |
| 1 „ | 8 „ |
| 2 women each attended | 17„ |
| 2 „ „ | 15 „ |
| 2 „ „ | 9 „ |
| 2 „ „ | 7 „ |
| 3 „ | 6 „ |
| 4 „ | 5 „ |
| 7 „ | 4 „ |
| 6 „ | 3 „ |
| 16 ,, „ | 2 „ |
| 82 „ „ | 1 „ |