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no reason to change a favourable opinion as to the advisabilty of
continuing to subsidize the existing agencies rather than to establish
purely municipal centres, but the proviso that the Borough Council
should always have a reasonable share in their control must always
be strictly maintained. No progress has been made in the way of
home helps, although there is much to be said for their inclusion in
any scheme of Mothers' Welfare.
Thee difficulty, however, of finding someone who could undertake
the duties without trouble, friction or jealousy seems to be very
great, and has, I understand, led to abandonment of the idea of
appointing them in many districts. To the Voluntary Centres
alone can one look for help in this direction, for with their more
personal acquaintance with possible future helps they might well
try the experiment at no distant date.
In all there were 20 notifications of puerperal fever, and in
three of these there appeared to be a common source of infection.
These were not in the practice of a midwife, but originated in one
of the institutions. The procedure of past years of dealing with
all those who had come in contact with the patient has been
followed out.
Of ophthalmia neonatorum there were 44 official notifications,
and of these 11 were removed to hospital, In addition, we received
a considerable number of names of those who Were alleged to be
suffering from a discharge from the eyes, two of these being after-
Wards officially reported. None of those who were notified as
suffering from this disease hate suffered any permanent injury to
the eyes. Each of them were visited by the women inspectors for
the district, and steps taken to ensure the proper treatment of
the eyes.
The nursing arrangements are not carried out by the Borough
Council direct, but by the various nursing associations, of else by
nurses who are connected with one or other of the philanthropic
agencies in the Borough. And by arrangement with Bermondsey it
is possible to secure attendance in a small district which is not
covered by the above agencies.
The amount expended for the year was £122 l3s. 8d., but
prejudice against a nurse's help I fear still lasts, and usually exists in
homes where they are most needed This will in time, when the
people at large have come to recognise their value, no doubt
disappear.
The Borough Council have not appointed any health visitors,
but at the beginning of April, 1918, the Council began to subsidize
four of the principal schools for mothers Working in the Borough,
viz., St. Luke's School for Mothers, 2, Commercial Road, Peckham ;
The Camberwell (Cambridge House) School for Mothers. 6, Addington
Square; The United Girls' School Settlement School for
Mothers, 19, Peckham Road ; The Nunhead Mothers' Welcome, 31,
Nunhead Grove ; and in May, 1919, the Council began to subsidise
the Bird-in-Bush School for Mothers, 601, Old Kent Road, S.E.