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urged upon the Metropolitan Asylums Board the urgent necessity
of again bringing into use as an isolation hospital the Park Fever
Hospital at Hither Green, which had unfortunately been converted
into a children's hospital for Poor Law purposes. It was
not until October 19th that our difficulties were removed, when
the Park Hospital was re-opened and again used for its original
purpose, viz : an isolation hospital for infectious diseases.
I desire to draw your attention to the important memorandum
issued by the Local Government Board dated July 30th,
1914, and relating to Maternity and Child Welfare. The Board
point out they would be in a position to give grants in aid of the
expenditure of Local Authorities and voluntary agencies in
respect of institutions or other provisions for maternity and
child welfare. The Board, while applauding the past efforts of
local authorities to reduee the wastage of infant life, believe that
further energies are required, as the following extracts show :—
"Up to the present, local authorities, in their infant
"welfare work, have concerned themselves more especially
"with the child in its first year of life; the matter is,
"however, one which needs to be dealt with on a more
"comprehensive basis, and it is clearly desirable that
"there should be continuity in dealing with the whole
"period from before birth until the time when the child
"is entered upon a school register, i.e., the register of a
"public elementary school, nursery school, creche, day
"nursery, school for mothers, or other school.
"Extension of the existing work is accordingly needed
"in two directions ; on the one hand it is necessary that
"measures should be taken for securing improved ante"natal
and natal conditions, and on the other hand,
"provision should be made for continuing the work in
"relation to children beyond the first year of life."