View report page

shortage of available husbands and prospective fathers, with the
inevitable result of a serious reduction of the infantile population
for many years to come. It is also one of the evil consequences
of war that the inefficients who remain behind can propagate their
stock while the most vigorous have their ranks depleted. It
behoves us therefore as a Sanitary Authority to take a broad view
of this national disaster and endeavour to adopt all available means
to preserve the lives of the children we have.
It has been shown over and over again that much of our infant
mortality is preventible and due to ignorance and carelessness on
the part of parents, and if therefore we can enlighten the ignorant
on child-care and bring pressure to bear on the careless surely it is
our business to undertake the work. Parents are primarily
responsible for their children's welfare and in all our endeavours
we should aim rather at pointing out and impressing on them their
duty than relieving them of their responsibilities.
To many the present will not seem a suitable time for expenditure
of large sums of money on what they consider a somewhat
doubtful venture, but while it may be argued that certain of the
work suggested is of a more or less experimental character this does
not apply to what we are already doing, and I think a suitable
beginning of the Local Government Board scheme might very well
be made by extending our present work. This is being carried on
on sound and well established lines and on these we could proceed
gradually to a complete scheme. Acting on this assumption I have
seriously considered the matter from the administrative and financial
point of view with the object of getting the maximum benefit
with the minimum expenditure compatible with efficiency.
In our shelter in the Neckinger Depot there are four tenements,
two on the ground floor and two on first floor. The smaller ground
floor tenement is at present used for children's baths, but the other
ground floor tenement, which is at present unused and consists of
two bedrooms, kitchen, w.c. and bathroom, could be converted
at very little cost into a suitable maternity centre. For this purpose
one general waiting room, one consultation and weighing room,
one medical consulting room, a dispensary and lavatory would
constitute the minimum requirements, and all of these we have
ready to hand in the shelter. The kitchen would be the general
waiting room and the large bedroom would make a very good