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27
THE ST. PANCRAS PREVENTIVE SCHEME.
The St. Pancras preventive scheme of infantile mortality is briefly as
follows:—
1. Notification of Births.—From these are selected the most suitable cases
to visit, commencing with the poorest houses in the poorest streets.
2. Advice Cards to Mothers.—A copy of the Advice Card is sent to the
mother of every newly-born child as soon as the birth is notified. Supplies of
these cards are also sent to medical practitioners, hospitals, dispensaries, and
midwives for distribution.
3. Medical Advice. —In cases where mothers are suffering from disease they
are referred to doctors, hospitals, and dispensaries, and where mothers arc in
need of extra food and milk to continue breast-feeding they are referred to
religious and charitable organisations, and especially the St. Pancras School
for Mothers.
During the year, as previously, the work of the Woman Inspector in
advising expectant mothers and in correcting defective and improper feeding
has been supplemented by assistance received from a number of lady voluntary
visitors. The St. Pancras Mothers' and Infants' Society, supported by
voluntary contributions and voluntary workers, with its SCHOOL FOR
MOTHERS, supplements the municipal work, and is doing a great good in
the southern part of the Borough.
On the 4th September, 1909, the Local Government Board issued an Order
with respect to the qualification, duties, &c., of Health Visitors under the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1908, which empowers the
Borough Councils to appoint suitable women for the purpose of giving to
persons advice as to the proper nurture, care and management of young
children, and the promotion of cleanliness. The Act of 1908 enables the
County Council to pay out of the County Fund any sum by way of contribution
towards the salary of a Health Visitor appointed under the regulations
not exceeding in any case one-half the amount.
In 1910 the Chief Medical Officer of the Local Government Board issued a
complete report upon the subject of infant and child mortality. Amongst
the remedies recommended were:—A more detailed investigation of all deaths
occurring in infancy as a guide to administrative acton; inquiries into the
circumstances attending still-births ; the adequate training of midwives; the
efficient administration of the Midwives Act ; the adoption of the Notification
of Births Act; and making of arrangements for the giving of instruction on
infant hygiene. Rut the foremost means of securing a low infant mortality
are :—Efficient domestic and municipal sanitation and housing, and intelligent
and painstaking motherhood. There is much machinery which has already
been devised to meet this last-mentioned end, including paid and voluntary'
women health visitors, schools for mothers, consultation centres for mothers,
infant milk depots, and in some of the London Boroughs nursing and expectant