View report page

51
1st—With respect to the first suggestion of the Board, as to
giving advice to parents as to the feeding and management of
children, and preventing the exposure of their food to comtamination,
I am glad to state that for several years past advice of this
nature has been systematically given.
During 1911 a leaflet on the "Care of Infants" was sent to
the mother of every infant whose birth was notified to me. This
leaflet is reproduced in the appendix to this report.
About the middle of June an additional leaflet, on the "Prevention
of Infantile or Summer Diarrhoea," was sent with the
above to the mother of every infant whose birth was notified.
This leaflet is also reproduced in the appendix.
The despatch of this latter leaflet was not discontinued until
the end of the month of September, when the seasonal excess of
diarrhoea had practically ceased.
It will be remembered that a health visitor was appointed in
November, 1910, for the purpose of visiting nursing mothers and
giving them instruction in the care and feeding of infants. Reference
is made elsewhere in this report to her work during the year;
but I can here state that her energies were solely confined to this
work, and to localities which I knew from their poverty and density
of population most needed such guidance. Mrs. Brown, the Health
Visitor, received instructions from me to work on the lines of the
leaflet referred to.
2nd—With respect to preventing the accumulation of decomposing
vegetable or animal matter in the neighbourhood of dwelling
houses, I have to state that the system of house refuse removal
adopted in the Borough is a weekly one. Very complete arrangements
are made to ensure that the dustmen call at every occupied
house in the Borough at least once a week. Blocks of flats and
many other places are visited twice and some even three times a
week. This is the normal arrangement. During the hot months
of last summer, the two dust inspectors were instructed to give
special attention to the regular collection of house refuse, and to
D2