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209
prepared to serve their community by becoming members of the
Borough's Health or Maternity and Child Welfare Committees
during its lifetime as a Metropolitan Council. A list of such
persons is given at the end of this section.
During 1901, the Borough's first full year, the co-operation
of general practitioners was sought by the Medical Officer of
Health for the voluntary notification of tuberculosis with little
result. Diphtheria anti-toxin was made available to local
practitioners for the first time and arrangements were made with
the Clinical Research Association for bacteriological examination
of specimens. At this time Dr. Annis queried the accuracy
of death certificates and suggested that, in the interests of
demographical research, payment of fees for certification would
be most likely to prove efficacious.
In reviewing the high infant mortality rate, the Medical
Officer of Health in his report for 1902, emphasised the need
for educating the public by means of suitable literature but his
suggestion that this could better be accomplished by the appointment
of health visitors was not then acted upon. The same year
brought the introduction of the Midwives Act and under the
London County Council (General Powers) Act of 1902, registration
of Ice Cream premises became compulsory. Supervision
and control of mortuaries became the responsibility of the Public
Health Committee and a site was purchased for the erection of
a mortuary in Lamb Lane (now Bardsley Lane). An effort was
made by the Medical Officer during this year to obtain information
regarding probable causes of Cancer and investigations were
carried out for several years without any definite results.
In the following year, 1903, responsibility for Sanitary Conveniences,
Horse-troughs and Drinking Fountains passed to the
Public Health Committee and in 1904 a new convenience at
Blackwall Lane was opened and the erection of a new Mortuary
at Lamb Lane was completed. A conference of the Metropolitan
Sanitary Authorities in this same year advocated the opening
of creches but this resolution was not implemented.
At this time Birth Registration could not be compelled
under a period of six weeks and, in an attempt to check infantile
mortality, an arrangement was made with the London County
Council for a list of cases attended by their midwives to be sent
to the Public Health Department in order that advice on infant
care, feeding, etc., could be despatched with the least possible
delay to the mothers.