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32
welfare work
Of the 68 deaths 33 were due to diarrhœal diseases and 11 to respiratory, while only 7
were due to what may be termed ante-natal causes, viz.:-2 from atrophy, and 5 from
congenital defects. Satisfactory as the trend of the mortality rates quoted above appear,
there is evidently still room for improvement. Thirty-nine (39) of the deaths occurred in
institutions, including 31 at the Paddington Hospital (Infirmary).
After being visited by the Council's Visitors—usually one visit only—the infants' cards
are passed to the Paddington School for Mothers, the mothers being advised by the Council's
Visitors to take their infants to the Consultation Centres for weighing and to obtain such
further advice as to feeding, etc., as may be necessary. Many mothers take their infants on
their own initiative having learned by experience that it is to the advantage of their infants to
do so. The Visitors attached to the School continue visiting until the infant attains the age
of 5 years, except when the babies are sent to school at the age of 3 years. The Visitors
attached to the School made 16,831 visits during 1921 as compared with 11,857 in 1920 and
10,973 in 1919. An unknown number of infants ate taken to consultations at Queen.
Charlotte's Hospital, and to Centres in adjacent Boroughs. Except the infants taken to
Queen Charlotte's Hospital practically no visiting takes place after the first visits by the
Council's Visitors.
Consultation Centres.—The number of Centres maintained by the School has increased
from three in 1914 to six in 1921. At two Centres two consultations are held weekly and the
remainder, one.
Last year 1,321 first attendances (= new cases) were made, the total attendances
numbering 14,935. The attendances of children between one and five years of age (included
in the total just given) numbered 3,578.
Among the children attending the Centres there were 59 deaths during the year, 48 at
ages under one year and 11 at ages one to five years. Deaths from diarrhoea numbered 20
and from respiratory diseases, 19.
Milk Grants: Dinners for Mothers.—With the beginning of 1921 the whole of the administration
under these heads was taken over by the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee,
who appointed a Special Sub-committee to investigate applications and make grants. An
Investigation Officer was appointed temporarily on February 16th, who continued in office
until December 3rd.
In April, 1921, a new scheme for the making of grants of milk, etc., at less than cost price,
embodying a graduated scale of earnings according to the size of the family, was formulated
by the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee in response to a Circular Letter (No. 185)
issued by the Ministry of Health. The Scheme was adopted by the Council in May and duly
approved by the Ministry.
The applications considered by the Committee during the year numbered 1,017 from 820
families and grants were made with respect to 850 applications. The remaining applications
(167) were considered to be outside the Committee's Scheme either because the earnings were
above the scale or because the degree of poverty prevailing was such that a grant such as it
was permissible to make would afford no adequate benefit to the grantee or the family. Such
applicants were advised to apply to the Poor Law Guardians. In all 3,506 orders were
issued, 3,354 for milk and/or dinners and 152 for milk substitutes. The expenditure on
milk amounted to just over £1,618—£1,472 for free milk (38,166 quarts) and £146 for milk
at half-price (7,176 quarts); that for dinners £137—2,189 in number, all free. In addition
836 packets of "Glaxo" and 125 of "Cow and Gate" (Dried Milk) were granted, 124 of
the former and 8 of the latter at half-price, and 712 of the former and 117 of the latter free—
at a cost of £96, of which the half-price grants represent just over £7.
Milk substitutes are sold by the School for Mothers, the necessary stocks being purchased
by the Council. The stocks purchased last year cost £1,461 and the receipts from the School
amounted to £1,324. No account is here taken of stocks on hand at the beginning or
end of the year.
Every applicant was required to furnish a signed statement of his family's earnings and
expenditure (fixed items only), and was informed that the statements as to earnings were subject
to verification, to which assent was necessary. Latterly, as so many applications were made
by wives and not husbands, the husband was required to furnish a separate statement of
income with name and address of employer, etc. In certain instances verification led to the