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maternal mortality. The cases admitted are those recommended from
the Council's three Maternity and Child Welfare Centres and that of the
Westminster Health Society. The grounds on which hospital accommodation
is sought are those laid down in Circular M. & C.W. 4, detailed in
the report of last year. The total number of women admitted and
confined in the hospital was 61. Of these, 23 were from the centre at
Ebury Bridge and Westbourne Street, 11 from Bessborough Street,
11 from Frith Street and Marshall Street, and 16 from Page Street and
Marsham Street (Westminster Health Society).
Health Visiting.—The importance of visiting children between the
ages of one and five years was emphasised by the Minister of Health in
circular 1054, issued in 1929. Other points to which he drew the attention
of local authorities were extension of day nurseries and further facilities
for the medical examination of children of this age period. The ultimate
object of these proposals was to ensure that children reaching school age
should be free from those defects and diseases which retard and interfere
with the benefits of education as well as entailing expense to the Education
Authorities who have to provide treatment. The City Council, realising
that with the then existing staff of health visitors (some of whom, besides
their child welfare duties, are also engaged in tuberculosis visiting) the
visiting of children other than infants could not be adequately undertaken,
appointed an additional health visitor in 1930. The work and the areas
of the health visitors was then reorganised, and from the figures set out
below it will be observed that a large proportion of the children visited
are between the ages of one and five years:—