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suitable nurses or for reliable women to look after the homes and
family if the mother is going into hospital, and instruction is given
verbally and by printed directions. Steps are also taken to obtain
additional food for mothers, both before and after birth, where it appears
to be required. Pre-natal visiting, it is hoped, will have the effect of
reducing the number of stillbirths, and of infants who are born in a
feeble state of health.
Medical Inspection of Children under School Age—Under the
auspices of the Health Society, a scheme was inaugurated in January,
1912, to provide for the periodic medical inspection of children in the
northern (Soho) half of the City. Helving in the fiist instance on the
information received by the Medical Officer of Health under the
Notification of Births Act, a health visitor gets into contact with every
family where a child is newly born. As soon as possible after the
mother is up and about, she is invited to come with her baby to the
Centre. Here the child, after being undressed, and weighed, is medically
examined. In most instances it is found to be healthy, but if any defect
is discovered arrangements are made for appropriate treatment before
any serious or permanent harm can follow. In all cases, the details as
to feeding, clothing, &c., are gone into closely, and all shortcomings
attended to. Finally the mother is advised to bring her child again for
re-inspection, the interval depending on the case, but being shorter the
younger the child, and in the meantime the health visitors, keeping in
touch with the home, ensure that the medical advice is not forgotten.
In addition to these new-born infants, older children of one, two,
three and four years attend and are dealt with on similar lines, medical
or convalescent treatment being arranged for in all cases needing it.
Lastly, with the oldest children, now about to enter the schools, their
medical records are sent to the respective school for the information of
the school doctors.
The Centre is under the medical supervision of Dr. David Forsyth,
who examines the children, assisted by a trained nurse and members
of the Society.
Dr. Forsyth states in his report on the first year's working that
374 children have been examined, excluding re-inspections. Of these,
131 were under 1 year ; 77 under 2 years; 83, 50, and 33 under 3, 4,
and 5 years respectively. The outstanding feature of an analysis of
the medical record cards is the rapid rise in the tide of disease every
year. While the large majority of the children in the first period are
found to be healthy, only a small minority come through to their fifth
year without at least one physical defect of some kind or another.
This is most strikingly seen with that condition which is, probably,