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381
"Numerous cases need dental treatment. We have only been
able to secure hospital treatment for two of the worst cases. Distance
and long waiting mean more to the expectant mother than to the
average dental patient.
"A number of cases come to the Clinic who need courses of
medicine for various ailments. Such cases are drafted to their local
doctors, or in the event of the patient's inability to meet this expense
are given dispensary or hospital letters; 19 needed treatment this
year.
"No case of puerperal sepsis occurred amongst the patients
who attended the Clinic, although in 42 mothers conditions were
found which made its occurrence very probable. Advice was given
to each patient, and was evidently acted upon, with success.
"Three cases of ophthalmia reonatorum were notified in babies.
In two of these cases the mother attended the Clinic only two weeks
before the birth of the children, when it was found probable that the
condition would occur, and the midwife was warned. The third
mother attended once only—three months before the confinement—
when she was apparently normal.
"During the year it has been our aim to evolve a maternity
belt which can be easily made for a shilling or two and which can be
easily adjusted for any patient. We have now been able to make one
in two sizes, which gives adequate support but which does not
require boning or fitting. No doubt improvements will be suggested
from time to time. In all cases the cost has been borne by the
mother.
"Several expectant mothers with bad family histories have
come to the Clinic with a request for us to do all we can to give them
living, healthy babies. In one case, where a premature baby died
a day or two after birth, the mother now has a lovely baby—born
rather prematurely, but otherwise normal. One mother came in
the sixth week of her pregnancy because she had lost two out of
four children at or just after birth; and another mother who had
reared two out of five. Both have fine healthy babies now.
"Medical aid was called in by the midwife for help in the
confinement, or the subsequent 10 days, in five cases: In two of these