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40
The Midwives Act, 1902.
The Midwives Act, in London is administered by the London
County Council as the local supervising authority. The important
duty of disinfection however devolves upon the Borough Councils.
Rule V. of the rules framed by the Central Midwives Board states:—
"Wherever a midwife has been in attendance upon a patient
suffering from puerperal fever or from any other illness supposed
to be infectious, she must disinfect herself and all her appliances
before going to another labour. Unless otherwise directed by the
local supervising authority all washable clothing should be sent to
be stoved by the local authority and then exposed to the open
air for several days."
In Battersea one of the tenements at the Reception Shelter is
used for this purpose. The midwife or monthly nurse who has
been in attendance on a patient suffering from puerperal fever or
other infectious illness is required to attend at the shelter and is
given a disinfectant bath, her instruments, clothing, &c., being at
the same time disinfected at the disinfecting station adjoining in one
of the steam disinfectors.
Mortuary.
The total number of bodies received at the Mortuary in Sheepcote
Lane during 1911 was 287 as compared with 234 in 1910 and
269 in 1909, and an annual average for the Old Parish of Battersea
for the five years 1896-1900 of 288. On 277 of these bodies, inquests
were held and ten bodies were received at the Mortuary for sanitary
or other reasons.