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32
By the Children Act, 1908, where the death of an infant under
three years is caused by suffocation while the infant is in bed with
some other person over 16 years, and that other person was, at
the time of going to bed, under the influence of drink, then proceedings
may be taken against such other person for neglect of the
infant and thereby causing its death.
Miscellaneous details.—Ninety-eight (or nearly half the
children) were insured ; 21 were ailing during the time they were
under supervision. In nearly all the houses flies were present
and allowed free access to the household milk. In 24 homes they
were present in excessive numbers.
One father insisted on rubbing his baby, a few weeks old, with
cheap paraffin oil from head to foot to keep the flies away. As a
result the child's neck, chest and face became extensively inflamed
and blistered. He had seen it stated in the Press that paraffin
was being used to destroy the larvae of mosquitoes, and concluded
it would be equally effective in warning off the common house fly.
The Mothers.—All except five of the mothers were attended
in their confinements gratuitously, chiefly by students from St.
Bartholomew's and the Royal Free Hospitals, and by midwives
and student-midwives from the various charitable institutions in
and near the borough.
At the time of the first visit, 140 mothers were thin and in poor
condition, 182 were personally and domestically dirty, 129 had
insufficient food, 4 had been deserted by their husbands, and 8
were definitely ill, including one case of phthisis; 195 were said
to be careless, 161 to be slovenly. Special attention was paid to
the breasts; 75 mothers had dirty teats, 55 had sore and cracked
nipples, 29 had insufficient or little breast milk.
Fifty-eight mothers, or 29 per cent., attended the weighing
centre, all did the usual housework at home, 8 were homeworkers,
chiefly cardboard box makers, 15 went out to work as charwomen,
street hawkers, costermongers, paper sorters and laundry women.
Ninety-eight of the mothers, or nearly one half, had already lost