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homes by the lady visitors in connection with St. George's Maternity
Society, who have given valuable help in this way, Subsequently the
mothers are visited periodically until the infants reach the age of nine
months. Other cases, amounting to 128, were also visited through the
aid of this Society at my suggestion.
The organisation for providing dinners for nursing mothers, at the
cost of one penny, has considerably extended its work. There are now
three centres in Chelsea, viz., in Sydney Street, Denyer Street, and the
World's End. The mothers must attend for the dinners which must be
eaten on the premises. They are also allowed to come for three months
before confinement. The babies are weighed once a fortnight, and the
mothers take great interest in the progress of their infants in this respect.
In one case under my own observation a mother had already partly put
her baby on the bottle through want of sufficient breast milk, when I
sent her to the dinners. After attending for a short time, she was able
to give up the bottle, and the baby was subsequently entirely breast fed.
The scheme is also useful in other ways, since it provides an excellent
opportunity of keeping in touch with the mothers, and also for
ascertaining that the babies continue to thrive.
In 1908 a special birth enquiry will be undertaken in Chelsea, in
accordance with the instructions issued by the Home Secretary. Evidence
is required as to the employment of women in domestic and industrial
work, both before and after childbirth, with a view to ascertaining the
effect of such employment. Observations are required to be made until
the child attains the age of twelve months, so that the investigations
will extend over a period of two years.
(7) Visiting Special Cases.
In addition to the visiting of cases already referred to, a considerable
number are reported from various sources, such as the Lady Almoners of
St. George's Hospital and of Brompton Hospital, Relief Committees,
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, District Visitors, and
through other charitable Agencies. The cases thus reported are not
necessarily "complaints" in the accepted sense of the word, but the
circumstances are generally, in the opinion of those who send the information,
such, that an informal visit of instruction might possibly be
advantageous. The cases reported from the Hospitals, for example,
generally refer to patients who are found to be suffering from want of
cleanliness and fresh air, or improper feeding, rather than from any
actual disease. Those reported by District Visitors are generally cases
where the homes are very dirty, as regards domestic conditions, i.e., floors,
furniture, &c.
This branch of the work, therefore, comes more under the heading
of Health Visiting than the work of an Inspector. The number of cases
reported has increased considerably during the last two years. A
register is now kept in which the names and addresses are entered
together with notes of recurring visits.