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130
During 1907 a new Sanitary Convenience at the junction of
Creek Road and Deptford High Street was opened and in the same
year the Notification of Births Act, which compelled notification
of births within 36 hours to the Medical Officer of Health was passed
but was not adopted by this Council.
A voluntary health organisation was formed in 1908 called the
'Greenwich Health Society,' its objects being to foster among the
people a desire to secure the best possible health and sanitation for
the Borough and to give special attention to the feeding, clothing and
environment of infants and young children. The Borough was
divided into 8 districts, each having a Superintending Visitor who
would visit at least once a month and when necessary advise mothers
to seek medical attention for themselves or for their children and
at the same time report any sanitary defects in the household to the
Public Health Department. It was a pre-requisite that the Visitor
should be conversant with the Poor Law in order to give needy
families the benefit of her advice.
The year 1909 brought about the adoption by the Council of the
Notification of Births Act, 1907, and three Consultation Centres
were opened under the control of the Greenwich Health Society.
During 1910 the Council appointed a Woman Sanitary Inspector
specifically for supervising Houses-let-in-lodgings under the L.C.C.
Byelaws, but as the Medical Officer's efforts to obtain the appointment
of a Health Visitor had failed, the assistance of the Woman
Sanitary Inspector was obtained to carry out certain health visiting
duties.
Important legislation was introduced in 1911 including the
National Insurance Act and the Public Health (Tuberculosis)
Regulations. It was during this same year that the Greenwich
Health Society ceased to function as it was thought that the Council
would more readily appoint a Health Visitor if the Society was
disbanded.
Even at this period of the Council's history complaints concerning
the East Greenwich Generating Station were common and
during 1911 an action was taken against the owners.
In 1912 the Local Government Board under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, sanctioned the notification of Whooping Cough
for a period of 5 years from the 1st June, and Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis
and Poliomyelitis were added permanently to the list of notifiable
diseases. During this year a temporary Health Visitor was
appointed for the summer months and arrangements were made with
the Ranyard Nurses and Sisters of St. John the Divine for systematic
home visiting. This year also saw the establishment by Miss McMillan