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in the years to follow, there is no doubt that this Unit saved many mothers' lives.
By this time also the Day Nurseries were receiving over £1,000 as a Council
grant, and St. Luke's Day Nursery and Guest House in Penn Road functioned as a
temporary residential nursery when exceptionally difficult circumstances arose at home
which made it imperative for the child to be cared for elsewhere. There is still a
very great need for such accommodation.
A hydrogen cyanide chamber was built by the Council in 1938 for the disinfestation
of bug infested furniture, other forms of disinfestation in the home not
being one hundred per cent efficient. This chamber was in use until the advent of
D.D.T. as an insecticide made the use of the dangerous hydrogen cyanide no
longer necessary.
Although the Maternity and Child Welfare Services, Tuberculosis Services and
other Health Services were now extensive and well integrated, much of 1939 was
inevitably taken up with preparations in the event of war breaking out, and after war
commenced, the greater part of the staff were temporarily placed on the organisation
of Casualty Services.
Dr. Clark Trotter retired in the early part of 1941 and was succeeded by the
present occupant, with Dr. Katherine M. Hirst as Deputy Medical Officer of Health,
she having been appointed as Assistant Medical Officer concerned with maternity and
child welfare work in 1938.
Much mixed public health work arising out of war circumstances had to be dealt
with, the evacuation of mothers and children, and the supervision of shelter life.
The Milk Scheme of the Ministry of Food commenced in 1940, including the
distribution of National Dried Milk and vitamin supplements, falling in the first place
upon the Public Health Department, and the Medical Officer of Health was
appointed Milk Officer for a time.
Epidemics were feared, but, fortunately, did not eventuate. The Ministry of
Health decided to make a wholesale effort in regard to diphtheria immunisation.
Gladly taking part in this National Campaign, diphtheria protection work in the
Borough was stepped up, so that even with limited staff, over 3,000 children were completely
immunised in 1941, and even more in the following years until the majority of
the children in the Borough were protected, and the unprotected ones constituted only
a minority. This, indeed, was a position which would have astonished and no doubt
pleased Dr. Harris.
All through the period of the war and in the post-war period the infant mortality
rate was steadily being reduced, new low records being established year by year.
The Casualty Services during the war constituted a major part of the work of
the Public Health Department. In the early part of the War close on 1,000 Civil
Defence personnel (both whole and part-time) for Casualty Services were enrolled,
and First Aid Poets, Mobile First Aid Units, Stretcher Parties, Gas Cleansing Centres,
and Light and Heavy Rescue Units were established. There was close liaison with
hospitals receiving casualties, and a whole-time Medical Officer was appointed for
the first-aid training of Civil Defence personnel, while Medical Officers for First Aid
Posts and the superintendence of Shelter Health were appointed from among Medical
Practitioners in the Borough. One Medical Officer in charge of a Mobile Unit was
honoured with the M.B.E. Others were appointed to each First Aid Post and Civil
Defence Post, and many lives were saved by the Light and Heavy Rescue Parties'
personnel in the extraction of trapped casualties who often had to be extracted under
arduous and dangerous conditions.
As a result of enemy action, there were 958 deaths in Islington, and nearly 3,000
seriously injured, as well as another 3,000 who were less seriously injured.