London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Greenwich 1913

The annual report made to the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich for the year 1913

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78
McMillan at Deptford Green, in St. Nicholas District, which is
stalled by various able medical men, who are carrying out a large
amount of work in connection with the treatment of ailments of
school children, this Institution being maintained by voluntary
subscriptions and a subsidy from the London County Council. In
very close proximity to this Institution is also an Infant Consultation,
held weekly, at the Albany Institute, under the auspices of
the Deptford Fund. This Institution was opened at the beginning
of the year, and for the first few weeks, until definite arrangements
had been made, was attended alternately by Dr. Whitehouse,
Medical Officer of Health for Deptford, and myself. In April,
however, a definite arrangement was made with Dr. Crabbe for
him to attend the Consultation regularly; and since this time, until
the end of December, there was a total attendance of 1,020
mothers. Total number of consultations with the medical man,
743; total number of infants weighed, 969. These entries are
taken from the weekly register, in which individual case records
are kept. The attendance of mothers has increased from 84 per
week in April to 177 in December, and the consultations from 38
to 155 in the same time, thus showing how much the work is appreciated
in this district. In connection with the Albany Institute,
there is also a Babies' Residential Home having six cots and
three resident trained Nurses in charge. To this home the medical
attendant at the consultation sends any sickly or underfed babies
whom he thinks desirable. There is also a large nursery attached,
where babies can be left at a charge of 2d. per day when the
mothers are ill or at work. From my personal experience of the
Institution, and observation of the results in the home, I can
definitely state that this work is doing a great deal of good in this
immediate neighbourhood. It was further realised that, as this
Institution was situated almost at the Borough boundary, one
could not expect mothers from the other end of the Borough to
come so far, and accordingly, during Health Week, a meeting of
representative ladies, of those interested in such work, was convened
and a Representative Committee was formed to start an Infant
Consultation Centre in East Greenwich. This Centre was opened
on June 4th, 1913, at the "Conlduit House Club," which is thus