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having the desired effect; and as corroborative of anything that statistics may
prove (see Tables A, B, C), it is very evident to us, who are constantly visiting
homes where there is a baby, that it is now becoming well ingrained in the
mothers mind that natural feeding, wherever possible, is the most desirable
one; that nourishing food for the prospective, and "nursing" mother is
essential, and that premature weaning is to be avoided.
Voluntary Visitors.—By means of the help of voluntary visitors, during
some parts of the year, it was possible to visit more babies, and to carry out
more measures consequent upon these visits than could otherwise have been
done. Not only did Miss Neville and Miss Stewart undertake to have a
certain number of cases visited by the C. 0. S. workers each week, but also
several fully-qualified Sanitary Inspectors (Mrs. Barnes, Miss Anderson and
Miss Kanthack, Hospital Sister and Midwife, and in December, Miss Johnson),
gave valuable assistance in the work. Miss Kanthack also delivered a course
of six lectures, on "The Preservation of Infant Life," to the voluntary workers,
at meetings which I held weekly, fortnightly, or monthly during the year
according to season.
Mode of Visiting.—It has always been my object to ensure that the visit to
the mothers and infants should not be hurried ones and merely involving a
long series of questions, but that they should be made in a leisurely, tactful,
and sympathetic manner, so that subsequent visits, if necessary, should be
welcome; and again that good work and lasting results should be our aim
rather than a large show of numbers visited in a perfunctory manner. Thus
in 1906:—
Number of Births, Visits, Adrict Cards, etc.
Total Births registered majority within 2 months) 5744
Births on Midwives' List (within 2—4 weeks 1034
Voluntary Notifications (within two days) 367
Advice Cards sent, after and previous to birth (about) 7000
Actual number of Infants visited 1126
Number of visits paid 1869
Additional visits to Infants* 143
Infants "not known" at address given73 Infants "removed" from district 83 156
Extra visits in connection with Infants' work made by myself to
Hospitals, Doctors, Midwives, Nurses; Almoners, Charity Organization
Society, Relieving Officers, Clergy, Maternity Missions, Labour Bureau,
Dairy Shops, Chemists, etc. 300
Numerous complaints met with in the course of inquiry, and at request of
mothers were dealt with, and the necessary measures taken to abate nuisances
and remedy sanitary defects.
Record ot' Births, Deaths and Visits.—Indexes have been kept of all deaths
of infants under 12 months, and of all births on the Registrars' returns; and
an index of the births on the Midwives' lists is also being made, so that by a
comparison of the two latter it may be easier to avoid a duplication of inquiry
visits, etc., to the same infant.