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47
That the position of maternity and child welfare was unsatisfactory in the early
1900's was a fact of which the Medical Officer of Health at the time (Dr. A. E. Harris)
was well aware. In his annual report for the year 1905, he stated:—
"There is no problem which at the present time is engaging the attention
of Sanitary Authorities so much as the prevention of deaths among children,
especially among infants in their very earliest days of life. Hitherto, no
special effort has been made in this direction in Islington and, indeed, it was
not required here so much as in the large towns and in some other of the
London districts; nevertheless, it is quite possible by educating parents and
especially young mothers, to reduce even the low mortality experienced in
Islington." (In 1905 this was 123 deaths per 1,000 births !)
"The methods usually adopted are to place in the hands of mothers short
directions as to the feeding, care and rearing of their infants and to supplement
these directions by visits of Health Visitors who are women thoroughly conversant
with these matters."
In 1907 the Medical Officer of Health presented to the Public Health Committee
a very complete and well documented report on "The Prevention of Infant
Mortality." He recommended the adoption of the Notification of Births Act, 1907;
the appointment of three Health Visitors and a clerk (i.e. for maternity and child
welfare work), and the encouragement of voluntary associations to assist the health
visitors. A number of local authorities and. voluntary bodies, both in London and
in the provinces, had already, by this time, appointed health visitors and formed or
started milk kitchens for infants and schools for mothers. The Public Health
Committee of the day, however, were unfortunately not persuaded by Dr. Harris
and he regretfully had to record the following stricture:—
"There can be no doubt that these rates (i.e. Infant Mortality rates)
are excessive and that something should be done, some endeavour made, by
instructions to mothers, to reduce them. The Borough Council, in their
wisdom, have, however, declined to adopt the Medical Officer of Health's
recommendation with respect to the prevention of the excessive infantile
mortality in the Borough so far as the appointment of trained, qualified,
and paid lady Health Visitors is concerned and therefore the undue mortality
among infants must continue unchecked. It is a sad thought and one to cause
serious reflection that a body of business men could arrive at the conclusion,
with the report of the Medical Officer of Health on the prevention of infantile
mortality before them, that there was no need for paid Health Visitors."
Eventually in November 1913 a Maternity Centre and School for Mothers was
opened in mission rooms loaned for the purpose, with one voluntary doctor and one
paid superintendent. There was one consultation day a week. The pioneer of
this Centre was Mrs. W. B. Keen who opened the North Islington School for Mothers
in Elthorne Road without any financial assistance from the Borough Council.
November, 1915.—South Islington School for Mothers and Babies Welfare Centre
opened at 9, Tyndale Place with two doctors and two consultations a week. By this
time the North Islington School for Mothers had three paid doctors and three nurses,
and held seven consultations a week at 9, Manor Gardens. There were 820 children's
names on the register with an average weekly attendance of 140. 163 names of
expectant mothers were also on the register.
The Centre also had four trained women to go out as home helps and their work
was supervised by the superintendent to the Centre. This is the first mention of
homo helps in the Borough of Islington.
December, 1915.—On the recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health a
resolution put that five Health Visitors be appointed at a salary of £100 per annum
was lost by 7 votes to 3. The Committee considered that the matter was one which
could best be dealt with by philanthropic effort rather than administrative action.
There was also a further motion that the Council be recommended to make
grants of £100 a year to the North Islington School for Mothers and South Islington
Mothers and Babies Welfare Centres. This was also lost.
January, 1916.—Having regard to the legal liabilities imposed upon the Council
by the General Order of the Local Government Act relating to the notification of