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21
extreme Southerly part of the Borough. Before commencing their
duties the Public Health Workers attended a Course of Health
Lectures, which was arranged by Miss Gardiner, of the
Charity Organisation Committee in conjunction with myself.
I have expressed my opinion of the great value of this
work in the preface to this Report, but in further reference
thereto, the statement made in the last Report of
the Stoke Newington Branch of the Charity Organisation Society,
may aptly be quoted:—"Though few in number, these visitors
have done excellent work in the parish of St. Matthias, which is the
area to which they have devoted themselves. They visit the mothers
of new-born infants from time to time, leaving leaflets, giving simple
instruction on infant feeding and management, making suggestions
as to the mother's management of her own health and domestic
hygiene, and in many cases, we believe their visits are heartily welcomed
and most helpful. Our Medical Officer of Health thinks
highly enough of their work to devote some of his valuable time one
morning in the month to meeting these visitors and discussing their
cases with them. In this way he gets much useful statistical information,
and the visitor's work is kept at a high level through this
contact with one who is so thoroughly alive to the great problem of
infant mortality and how it can be met. Special attention has also
been given by one visitor to all the notified consumptive cases in the
district
We should like to see a large extension of this work, and feel
strongly that if the Clergy and district visitors realized its great
value, more visitors would be forthcoming, and the area enlarged
over which the scheme could be worked. It is not a question of
relief of distress, but of that far more important branch of social
service—prevention."
During the year the number of visits paid by these voluntary
workers, in respect of births, infant deaths, and sufferers from consumption,
amounted to 320.