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39
Advice Curds sent to eases notified within 36 hours on day of receipt
of notification. (N.B.—Not sent for still births) 3826
Advice Cards sent to cases registered (but not notified) on the receipt
of Registrar's returns 1377
Caution Letters sent to cases registered but not notified re births
occurring since January 1st, 1909 1252
Visits.
Total number paid. 2207
Actual number of infants visited 880
Additional visits to infants‡ 1327
‡Of these—Infants " not known " at address given 2
„ Infants " removed " from address given 152
Extra visits paid by myself to Hospitals, Doctors, Midwives, Nurses,
Creches, Maternity Missions, Almoners, Relieving Officers,
Workhouses, Infirmary Employment Exchange, Distress Committee
Office, School for Mothers, C.O.S., National Health
Society, Royal Sanitary Institute, &c. 338‡
‡This number would have been considerably higher if it could have included
all the " visits " which had perforce for press of work and lack of time to
be replaced by letters and interviews at the Town Hall.
Notification of Births.
The Notification of Births Act which came into force in St. Paneras in
March, 1908, has thus been in vogue during the whole of the year 1909. The
numbers of notifications, still births, &c., for 1908 and 1909 arc not comparable,
as they refer in the former case to a period of 9 months oidy, and in the latter
to a period of 12 months.
Since the beginning of the year 1909, cautionary letters have been sent to
the fathers (or persons in attendance) of those infants whose births were
registered but not notified, and by this means the knowledge of the Act has
become more widespread. The Hospitals and Midwives seem to notify their
eases very regularly, but it is probable that some of the private practitioners
omit to remind the husbands of their patients of this duty.
Illegitimacy.
Of the total births registered (5,237) the illegitimate births registered
numbered 216, i.e., 4.1 per cent. The remarks in the last year's report to you
re illegitimate births and the deaths of illegitimate infants apply equally now.
Clerical Work.
The amount of clerical work continues to increase year by year.
As before complete and current indexes have been kept of all the births
registered and of all the registered infant deaths.
All the clerical work consequent upon the notification of births has been
carried on in the same way as during last year and, in addition, each week
cautionary letters have been sent to every case where a birth has been registered
but not notified. If a birth is neither registered nor notified, then the Public