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(4) Visits to homes in which Cases of Zymotic Diarrhoea or
other sickness not of an infectious nature, amongst infants and
young children, come to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of
Health. In these cases suitable handbills of advice will be left
and directions given as to the precautions which should be observed
in the management of the patients and the protection of others.
(5) To each Visitor will be assigned a certain number of the
poorer houses in the district. The worst area will be chosen and
occasional visits from house to house will be paid in order to
achieve the best sanitary standard procurable; especially will such
visits be of importance in order to ascertain the kind of food
given to infants and children, their clothing and their cleanliness;
the existence of dirty and unwholesome premises, bad odours, etc.
Although it is desirable to avoid giving alms as far as may be,
yet the Public Health Visitors will, after a little experience, be able to
judge whether relief is absolutely necessary and where it is likely to do
permanent good; and of such cases Miss Gardner, of the Charity
Organisation Society, will be informed.
It would doubtless be advantageous for the Medical Officer of
Health to receive information with regard to births occurring in the
practice of midwives, in order that advice may be promptly given to
mothers as to feeding and care of infants in those cases where such
advice would appear desirable. In this connection the London County
Council has undertaken a useful work by obtaining from certified
midwives weekly lists of the cases attended by them and forwarding
the particulars to the Medical Officer of Health in whose district the
birth took place. The returns are not complete, as the forwarding of
the returns by midwives is not compulsory; but any information
which comes promptly to hand of the birth of an infant is of value in
the conservation of infant life in the Borough.