London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hackney 1918
Report on the sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney for the year 1918
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34
(Report upon Ante-natal Welfare by the late Medical Officer,
see Appendix, page 70.)
Infant Centres.
The year's work at these Centres has been particularly good,
even in normal peaceful times the results would be considered good,
but the past year has been one of unexampled anxiety and distress
in the Borough, and attendance fell off on many occasions during
the year owing to anticipated air raids, or as a result of those which
actually occurred. Many mothers at times could not attend because
they had to wait long hours in queues at provision shops, often
to find, long before their turn came to be served, that the stock
had been sold out. In spite of these and many other drawbacks,
the average attendance on the whole was distinctly good.
The following is a table setting forth these attendances, etc., at
the three municipal Infant Welfare Centres and the two Voluntary
Centres:—
| Centre. | No. of times Centre open. | No. of primary cases brought to Centre. | Repeated visits to Centre. | Total attendances | Total attendances of Infants under 1 year. | Total attendances of children over 1 year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. All Souls, Overbury Street | 51 | 375 | 2,666 | 3,041 | 2,254 | 787 |
| 2. Brooksby Walk | 51 | 395 | 2,221 | 2,616 | 2,168 | 448 |
| 3. Mayfield Road | 52 | 310 | 1,625 | 1,935 | 1,554 | 381 |
| 4.*Hackney Mothers' and Babies', Hackney Grove. | 50 | 299 | 1,400 | 1,699 | 1,220 | 479 |
| 5.*Eton Mission, Gainsborough Road. | 49 | 147 | 730 | 885 | 681 | 204 |
| Total | 253 | 1,526 | 8,650 | 10,176 | 7,877 | 2,299 |
* These are Voluntary Centres and are co-ordinated with the Infant Welfare
work in the Borough. The Hackney Mothers' and Babies' Welfare
Centre receives an annual grant of £100 from the Council.