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ties, however, arose, and the Society withdrew the assistance they had
given in that area. The Council decided to undertake the whole of the
Maternity and Child Welfare work in that area, and also to inaugurate
a clinic for expectant mothers. A special Committee is to be appointed
to deal with this branch of work, which is assuming increased importance,
meanwhile a re-arrangement of duties of the Council's Visitors in that
area has been effected whereby the Health and the Tuberculosis visitors
will be available for both branches. The medical inspection of children
and the clinic for expectant mothers have been placed under Dr. Shinnie's
care as a temporary measure. The mothercraft classes have, meanwhile,
been in abeyance. The Health Society has provided a trained
nurse (who is also a midwife) to act as a monthly nurse from the
Rochester Row Centre. She is also available for pre-natal and ordinary
health visiting.
Arrangements have been made to pay for the services of medical
practitioners when called in by registered midwives in cases of emergency
in necessitous women, according to a scale laid down by the British
Medical Association. Supplies of dried milk have been provided at
each of the three Health Centres, to supply nursing mothers and infants,
but the demand has been small, as little difficulty has been experienced
in obtaining milk from dairymen.
The general death-rate.—The net number of deaths of Westminster
people was 1,896, slightly higher than that recorded (1,827) in 1916.
Of these, 1,014 were of males, 852 females, in both instances above the
numbers in 1916.
On the Registrar-General's estimate, the death-rate would be 15"5
per 1,000 ; on the 160,000 estimate, 11.8. The rate for London is given
as 15'0 per 1,000.
Infectious Disease.—The number of notifications, 469, were again
remarkably low. There were 10"9 scarlet fever (2 deaths), 163 diphtheria
(11 deaths), 14 enteric fever (4 deaths), 14 cerebro-spinal meningitis
(8 deaths), 1 poliomyelitis (1 death), 46 erysipelas, 7 puerperal fever
(3 deaths), and 29 cases of ophthalmia neonatorum.
In addition, 1,111 cases of measles and 815 of German measles were
notified. All but 200 occurred in the first 6 months of the year; 24
deaths occurred. Visits were paid by the Health Visitors to 905
families in which there were one or more children affected. Hospital
treatment was given to 124 persons suffering from measles and 92 of
those with rubella ; 50 of the former and 83 of the latter were adults,
soldiers, servants, residents in hotels, boarding houses and in business