Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]
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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
61
Convalescent Homes.
During the year nine mothers with infants and one child were
sent to Convalescent Homes. Four mothers and infants were sent
to the Mothers' Rest Home, Hampstead, one mother and child to
Baldwin Brown Convalescent Home, Heme Bay, one mother to
All Saints' Home, Eastbourne, one mother and baby to Littletonon-Sea
Convalescent Home, one child to the Marjorie Lumley Home
Maidenhead, one mother and child to Wayside Cottage, Camberley,
and one mother to a holiday home cottage at Aylesbury.
Supply of Milk.
The Council decided on the 11th April, 1918, to supply, under
the Milk (Mothers and Children) Order, milk free of cost to necessitous
expectant and nursing mothers, and to children under five
years of age. This scheme came into force on the 1st May, 1918.
In March, 1921, in Circular 185, the Ministry of Health limited
the supply of free milk to nursing mothers, to expectant mothers
during the last three months of pregnancy, and to infants and
children up to three years of age. Between the ages of three and
five years milk may be given on a medical certificate.
All applications are investigated, and on the 1st April, 1921, a
form of application was adopted, to be filled in by the husband
and signed by both husband and wife. Should the income per
head, after deducting rent, fall below the scale approved by the
Council, as shown in the subjoined table, a 1 lb. packet of dried
milk is supplied weekly to an expectant or nursing mother, and to
a child under three years of age. In special cases cows' milk is
supplied on production of a medical certificate. Two pints of milk
daily, or its equivalent in dried milk, is the maximum amount
granted to one family.
Cases in which the average income was slightly over the scale,
and there was need of extra milk, were supplied with milk or dried
milk at half cost.