View report page

20
5. Father and mother in prison. The supervision of the
baby divided between the grandmother and a kindly
neighbour.
6. Father paralysed, the mother of the baby and the rest
of the family making artificial flowers.
7. Father 18 years of age, and a cripple. The mother the
sole support of the family, and breast-feeding her infant.
8. Mother suckling her child and making carpenters' aprons
for a few shilings a week. Father out of work.
9. Mother at work all day, had to leave husband two months
before the baby was born for ill-treatment.
10. Mother with a breast abscess, which had been incised
three times at a general hospital. Her account of it
was : " There were four leaders broken, and it was as
big as a sheep's heart."
At very few houses was any resentment shown at the ladies'
visits. One father, a policeman, objected "on principle" to
health visitors calling.
One mother, " stone deaf," had had 10 children, all living,
and very much objected to being questioned. It was felt that
the success she had achieved with her children fully entitled her
to freedom from supervision, and she was not visited again.
In this connection it may be observed that the greater attention
is bestowed on young mothers, mothers with first children,
mothers with twins, mothers with illegitimate children, mothers
deserted or ill-treated, and mothers in poor and domestically
squalid surroundings.
Home Circumstances and Social Conditions.—During
the winter months many of the homes disclosed conditions
of poverty and distress. These were referred to various agencies
and philanthropic institutions. The homes were cleansed and
brightened up, and strenuous efforts made to encourage the
parents to keep them in this condition. The policy of the Public