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21
Health Department has been to inculcate a spirit of robust
independence—to tell the parents what to do and how to do it,
and in case of failure to offer tactful help and unobtrusive
co-operation.
One fact has issued clear and distinct from the enquiry—the
home conditions may be such as to indicate great poverty—yet
the babies, nevertheless, may be quite fat and clean.
ILLUSTRATIVE CASES.
1. Parents very young, father 19, mother 18 years. Father
a casual labourer. Mother, a cardboard-box maker,
working and suckling her child 6 weeks old.
2. Father blind, and is led out in the morning by the
mother to a fixed " pitch " during the day-time, where
he sells matches. In the evening the mother takes him
out with a piano organ to play outside public-houses
The mother employed as a charwoman. The child, a
few weeks old, was found at home lying with wet
and fouled clothing, and looked after by a neighbour.
3. Family consisting of father, mother, and 3 children,
aged 3 years, 1 year 9 months, and 3 months. The first
two children were delicate and very ricketty. The baby
was healthy. The father was in regular work, earning
21s. weekly, and gave his wife ₤1. The mother
volunteered the following weekly budget of her expenditure
: Rent 6s. 3d., towards purchase of mangle 1s.,
insurance 6d., fuel and fight 2s. 1d., leaving 10s. 2d
for food and clothing. She used to live at Tottenham,
but found it too expensive She returned to St. Luke's,
and was thereby enabled to be attended gratuitously in
her confinement by the students of St. Bartholomew's.
4. Fourth child few months old, very puny, breast fed, just
recovering from thrush, unwashed at 3 p.m. The father,
29 years, in regular work, gives his wife 14s. weekly.
The mother does not know where the father works or
what he earns.