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the deepest regret and sorrow at his prolonged and grave illness, and
at permanently losing one who for so many years has filled an
honoured position in the life and work of this Borough.
During the year the Centre has been opened 61 times.
The number of new attendances has been 317 ; the number of
subsequent attendances, 2,533; making the total attendances,
2,880. The number of children under one year old was 2,077 and of
children over one year, 803. The number of consultations by the
.Medical officer was 1,299.
Among the infants the great majority are brought on account
of digestive troubles or through failure to make satisfactory gain
in weight,and need regulation of the diet rather than medicines;
as may be supposed by far the larger number of these cases are
artificially fed. A striking fact is the extreme frequency with which
constipation among both breast and bottle-fed babies occurs as a
factor of great importance in hindering assimilation and thereby
retarding nutrition and progress.
Our accommodation up to the present has been very limited and
inadequate, but arrangements have been made with the responsible
authorities of the Mayfield road Chapel to renovate and place at
our disposal a small hall and commodious adjacent rooms which
will greatly facilitate our work, and enable it to be carried
on under better and more hygienic conditions as regards space,
ventilation and lighting, and this will undoubtedly have an important
effect in further popularising it and promoting its extension.
(Sgd.) J. Houston Porter, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.
4. Hackney Mothers' and Babies, Welfare Centre. (Voluntary.)
The past year has been a busy one at the Hackney Mothers' and
Babies' Welfare Centre. There has been a considerable increase in
the average attendance, both on Tuesdays and Fridays, and
the mothers have continued to show a keen appreciation of the
work.