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Dr. Harris reported in 1913 that before long two Tuberculosis Dispensaries
would be at the service of the people who most required them—one of the Dispensaries
would find its home within the Borough at the Great Northern Hospital, and
the other without the Borough at the City Road Chest Hospital. These Dispensaries
carried on their work through the Borough Council until they were transferred to
the Hospital Authority in 1948.
At long last, in 1914, Dr. Harris was able to report, " during the past 18 months
a School for Mothers has been voluntarily instituted in North Islington at No. 9,
Manor Gardens, which it is most heartening to know is doing really good, solid
work, and where the mothers of North Islington are availing themselves of the
teaching and instructing that the Institution offers." ..." It is thus becoming a
model for Schools for Mothers, and its only need is funds to enable it to do more, and
it is sincerely hoped that the Borough Council of Islington will give it support
morally and pecuniarily to enable it to continue its usefulness." . . . " It is good
tidings to learn that the success of the School for Mathers, in connection with which
the name of Mrs. Florence Keen will always be associated, has induced a number of
ladies who always have the welfare of children at heart, to band themselves together
to establish a similar School in South Islington."
The standard of personal cleanliness does not seem to have been high, and
lousiness was, unfortunately, widespread.
In 1914 it was found necessary to give 2,496 baths to 1,043 children. From
information received from the London County Council, 3,600 children were found
to be in a more or less verminous condition during the year.
The first World War spot-lighted the importance of avoiding human wastage,
and Dr. Harris quoted in 1916 from a leading article in the " Daily Telegraph,"
the following :—
" The value of population has never been so appreciated as it is today. If
we had been more careful for the last fifty years to prevent unheeded wastage
of infant life, we should now have at least half a million more men available
for the defence of the Country."
The Notification of Births Extension Act, 1915, not only extended notification
of births throughout the Country, but required the appointment of Health Visitors
by Local Authorities and so, in 1916, the Borough Council appointed, at long last,
the first two Health Visitors.
There were now three Voluntary Welfare Centres in Islington, the North, South
and West, and their work was recognised by the Borough Council, which gave a
grant of £200 to each Centre. The North Islington Welfare Centre was already
a well-established concern with many associated activities, which included a sewing
class, home visiting, health talks, and there was even a " home-help " scheme with a
" home-help club," towards which mothers paid a small contribution to secure the
services of one of the four women employed as home-helps. The London County
Council also held a Dental Clinic for school children in the Welfare Centre premises.
The East Islington Welfare Centre was commenced in 1918, so that Welfare
Centre Clinics were now generally available throughout the Borough. By 1919, 40
per cent of all infants under one were being taken to the Welfare Centres and, in
commenting upon the figure of 83 per thousand infants born, the lowest infantile
mortality rate ever registered in the Borough—(the present figure is approximately
20)—Dr. Harris said " that the time was fast approaching when we would not look
upon a rate of 40 per thousand births as anything unusual, but as one that ought not
to be exceeded." Dr. Harris must have felt indeed that his main task had been
largely accomplished but not completed. He said—