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- 19 -
Improvements in the public health and in social conditions,
slum clearance, progress in medical science and treatment, cleaner
food, water and especially safer milk, immunisation against infectious
disease and, above all, Child Welfare.
In Chelsea this had its beginning by the Borough Council's
appointment of a Lady Sanitary Inspector in 1902, whose duties included
the inspection of the many workshops where female labour was employed,
house to house inspection of the poorer districts and the investigation
of infant mortality. Regarding the last, her findings included such
appalling facts as: 22% of the families occupied one room only: 19%
of the deaths were in firstborn: in one family 10 children had
previously died under the age of 2 years: in four cases two infantile
deaths had occurred in the same family within the year. It became
evident that much of this was due to ignorance and improper feeding.
By 1905 a by using the information from birth registration, the
Lady Sanitary Inspector and Lady Visitors connected with St. George's
Hospital, subsequently called St. George's Maternity and Health
Society, were visiting outdoor maternity cases, giving advice and
distributing leaflets on infant rearing and management. In 1906, by
means of private philanthropy, a Mrs. W.E. Gordon provided dinners for
nursing mothers at one penny per head at 2 centres - one in Dovehouse
Street and the other in Denyer Street, where the mothers could attend
for the dinners which had to be eaten on the premises. This was
later extended to malnourished expectant mothers two months before
their confinement. At these centres fortnightly baby weighing is
first mentioned. In 1907 another centre was added at World's End.
By 1910 a Dr. Tribe commenced free "Infants' Consultations" one
afternoon a week at one of Mrs. Gordon's dinner centres at 85, Sydney
Street.
In 1911 there was founded the Chelsea Health Society under the
patronage of Lord Cadogan and the Chairmanship of Lady Maud Hoare.
Working in co-operation with the Public Health Department this Society
promoted the health of mothers, expectant mothers and infants by visits,
demonstrations, advice and infant consultations held in a room at the
Wesleyan Methodist Hall, King's Road. Premises at 19 Sydney Street
were rented in 19114 enabling books, records, office and clerical work
to be carried on under one roof, but offset against this advantage was
the unsuitability of rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors for infant consultations,
entailing carrying babies up and down narrow, steep stairs.
In 1916 an suite natal clinic was started, and by 1917 infant consultations,
clinics and the ante natal clinic were being held by two women
officials of the Borough Council, a newly appointed Health Visitor and
officers of the Chelsea Health Society. A school for mothers
followed in 1918, and in 1922 the Society moved to la, Manor Street,
where a new venture was started by the admission of nursing mothers
with their babies, where breast feeding difficulties had occurred.
In 1926 Lady Melchett succeeded Lady Maud Hoare as Chairman.
The difficulty of finding bigger and better premises was solved by
the most generous gift by Lord Melchett of a site and the present