View report page

43
Child. Full Name Date of birth
Male. Female. Legitimate. Illegitimate. Firstborn. Premature. Full Time.
Condition at first visit at last
If death occurs, age at death Cause of death
Feeding during first six months of life.
Breast entirely for weeks.
Artificial food partly since Why
Artificial food entirely since Why
Nursing. By Mother. By other person at home Put out, where
Father. Occupation Weekly earnings
Race and Nationality.
Health. Good. Indifferent. Bad.
Home. Rent No. of rooms
Condition
No. of family at home Weekly income of family
No. of lodgers
Remarks.
It will be seen from the above form that the enquiry the Home
Secretary has instituted is searching and comprehensive, and it
should elicit a mass of most valuable material. A number of streets
in Hampstead have been selected for the enquiry, which is now
being carried on by Mrs. Fisher and by a few of the voluntary
workers. As will readily be understood the enquiry in each case
occupies a considerable amount of time.
The work of health visiting in Hampstead has been much
facilitated by the Notification of Births Act, but the work at present
suffers for want of workers. Mrs. Fisher continues to work
exceedingly well, but she has other important duties to perform and
can only devote a comparatively small amount of time to infant
visiting. The work of the voluntary visitors is valuable, but
voluntary visitors cannot take the place of trained and experienced
health officers, and it is surprisingly difficult to obtain anything
like an adequate number of voluntary visitors, even in Hampstead,
where there is no lack of leisured ladies who might be expected
willingly to take up useful social occupation of this kind. There
is much need of a second lady inspector in Hampstead, and I
would strongly recommend that one be appointed during the
present year in order that the Borough may reap the full
benefit of the Notification of Births Act, and secure a continuance
of the fall in our infantile mortality that is recorded in this report.