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Health Visitor.
The following table shows the work done by the Health Visitor during the year under
report:—
Whole
Borough.
Bermondsey Wards.
Rotherhithe
Wards.
St. Olave
Wards.
1
2
3
4
5
6
St.
John.
St.
Olave.
St.
Thomas.
1
2
3
Births Notified—
1,724
I
1
183
179
92
455
—\
177
I
-
31
50
71
152
28
107
19
19
17
162
-
98
17
39
10
2
1
52
64
8
16
3
-
2
21
16
-
-
568
403
13
31
35
482
223
338
86
88
61
573
372
4
119
138
77
338
155
5
106
103
73
287
213
243
35
37
17
332
-\
198
-
107
167
145
419
—
42
By Guy's Hospital
By Midwives
730
18
By Doctors
841
27
By Parents
617
26
3,912
639
Total
Births Visited—
569
2,155
Primary Visits
97
28
Secondary Visits
444
76
102
35
27
45
7
2
Other Calls and Visits
99
9
20
15
12
10
9
13
6
3
2
-
205
255
33
Total Visits paid
309
249
218
117
72
16
2,698
675
494
55
16
-
Insanitary Conditions reported
to Medical Officer of Health
1
4
—
-
-
1
-
1
5
3
1
Number of babies breast fed ... ... ... 2,128
„ bottle fed ... ... ... 20*
„ fed otherwise (e.g., spoon) ... ... 7
2,155
*Type of feeding bottle used:—Boat shape, 14; long tube, 6.
Children put out to nurse, 20.
From this table it will be seen that out of a total of 3,912 births notified 2,155 were visited at
least once. Since it was impossible for one Health Visitor to visit every case in the Borough, it
was decided that at least the poorer patients and those least likely to have a private medical man in
attendance, who could advise them at any time, should be visited by the Health Visitor. It was
thought, therefore, that all cases notified by Guy's Hospital and by midwives should be systematically
visited, and that, after these, notifications by parents and special notifications by doctors should
receive attention. lam of opinion, however, that a Health Visitor should call at every house in the
Borough where a birth occurs, because only in this way can she judge if there is any necessity for
further advice. I look upon the secondary visits as quite as important as the first, and my reasons
for saying this will be found in the figures immediately below the table. Out of the 2,155 cases
visited it was found that 2,128 were breast fed and only 27 artificially fed. Such a statement as
this without fin-ther explanation would seem to indicate that a Health Visitor is quite superfluous,
as breast feeding is apparently universal in the Borough, but such an opinion would not be correct.
The babies are breast fed for the first month or six weeks at the most, i.e., until the mothers return
to work. There is a tremendous amount of casual labour in Bermondsey, and as a consequence the
incomes of the poorer families must be supplemented by the mother's work. When they go out
they leave the_ babies in charge of neighbours and cease breast feeding. It is a wonder so many
children are alive at the end of the first year as there are. This only emphasises the necessity of
the Health Visitor following up suitable cases, and also the advisability of extending the creche
sj'stem for taking care of babies whose mothers are out at work.
This paragraph, which was in last year's report, has been reproduced without alteration except
for figures, since the opinion expressed then still holds good, and it emphasizes the advisability of
having at least one more Health Visitor if the work is to be effectually done. The number of
primary visits are not so many as last year, but this is owing to the fact that we were without a
Health A isitor for the last two months of the year, and the number of secondary visits was larger.
IV.—FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
In Table X. of the Appendix will be found particulars of the inspections of factories and
workshops, and in the following table particulars regarding the trades and persons employed in
connection with workshops. There were 693 workshops on the Register in 1910, against 692 in
1909. Including bakehouses, of which there were 81 in use, the total is 774.
OUTWORKERS.
T here were 709 outworkers on the Register at the end of 1910. 95 lists were sent in by
firms in this Borough employing outworkers. Table X. of the Appendix shows the various trades
followed by outworkers m this district.