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

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Stoke Newington 1907

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Stoke Newington, The Metropolitan Borough]

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preparation, storage, and distribution of articles of food and drink
intended for sale for human consumption; and it would appear not
improbable that under such regulations control may be exercised in
a variety of ways over such articles of diet as meat, milk, shell-fish,
and the like.
THE NOTIFICATION OF BIRTHS ACT, 1907.
The Act requires that the Council, as Local Authority, shall
bring the provisions of the Act to the attention of all medical practitioners
and midwives practising in their area.
These provisions may be briefly summarised as follows: —
Primarily, the "duty" of notifying a birth to the Medical Officer
of Health devolves upon the father of the child, if he be resident in
the house at the time of its occurrence; secondarily, upon " any
person in attendance upon the mother at the time of, or within six
hours after, the birth. "The notice must be" given by posting a
prepaid letter or postcard. . . within thirty-six hours after the
birth,"or by delivery of a" written notice of the birth (in either case)
at the office of the Medical Officer within the same time." The local
authority are required to "supply without charge addressed and
stamped postcards, containing the form of notice, to any medical
practitioner or midwife, residing or practising in their area, who
applies for the same. "The notification is" in addition to, and not
in substitution for, the requirements "of the Act" relating to the
registration of births,"and it applies to any child born" after the
expiration of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy, whether alive or
dead." Liability to a penalty not exceeding twenty shillings is incurreil
by any person who fails to give notice of a birth.