London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of Westminster 1925

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]

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78
Inquests were held at Horseferry Road, where the Coroner's Court is
situated, in 317 cases, and there were 10 adjourned inquests. Postmortem
examinations were made in 184 instances. Seventeen bodies
were received in the mortuary chapel to await burial.

The number of dead bodies taken to the mortuaries for purposes of inquest, and to await burial, during the last 23 years were :— Table XII.

Total.For Inquest.To await BurialTotal.For Inquest.To await Burial.
190339634155191537634927
190438132259191628125229
190536830761191727826513
190634428361191828524243
190735828177191930826939
190836429866192028926920
190929125833192127323835
191033328152192226924722
191138333449192333631817
191232428440192434032812
191332828642192533431717
191432329528

There are resting places for the dead at Ebury Bridge, Dufours Place
and Drury Lane. The latter was used on two occasions.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The Maternity and Child Welfare scheme of the Council embraces
both municipal and voluntary organisations. Until 1918, with the exception
of the assistance rendered by one whole-time health visitor who was
appointed by the Council on the adoption of the Notification of Births
Act (1907), this work was carried out for the whole City by a voluntary
body, the Westminster Health Society, which received financial aid from
the Council. The Society was founded in 1904, and is thus one of the
pioneer bodies in the country to engage in the campaign for the preservation
of infant life. As a result of the appreciation of the work of this
Society, similar bodies were founded in other parts of London, and they
have profited by the experience of the early efforts of this body of
enthusiasts in Westminster. Among its moving spirits were Miss
Margaret Horn, who remains the Hon. Organiser of the Society, and
Dr. Allan, the late Medical Officer of Health of the City. The Society
built up the system of child welfare in Westminster. They taught mothers
that mothercraft came not always by intuition, and that rule-of-thumb
methods sometimes gave disappointing results. They organised clinics
where mothers could receive free advice on infant feeding from qualified
doctors, and this was supplemented by printed leaflets. Instruction in