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102
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
"1,019 mothers were wise enough not to begin the use of thecomforter,
and 234 others had discarded the use of it on our second
visit. 1,715 mothers made a practice of giving the baby the dummy
though most of them assured us it was only occasionally when
perhaps they too were busy to pacify the child on a washing day.
On our second visit we found 94 of the mothers who had begun
well by giving no dummy had resorted to the use of it.
"With regard to the employment of midwives we found out
of the 3,059 mothers visited 1,459 had availed themselves of their
services, a considerably larger number than in the previous year.
The proportion of unregistered midwives who have been found,
to be practising is almost negligible, only 21 in the whole Borough
as against 45 in the previous year. Quite half this number have
been neighbours or relatives who have been called in an emergency.
In the other cases the names have been sent on to the London
County Council Public Control Department.
"The sanitary defects found in the course of our work have
been remedied, or if requiring stmctural work, referred to you.
"50 intimation notices were served, and two statutory noticeswere
required."