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The scheme for the diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases in the county 1
provides for the participation of certain authorities near London in the facilities
afforded by selected hospitals for the purpose. The arrangements for 1926 provide
for free treatment and diagnosis for in-patients and out-patients at 27 hospitals and
for the reception of patients for treatment at seven hostels. Special provision has
been made for the treatment of pregnant women and very young children. Practitioners
secure, at the cost of the Council, scientific reports for diagnosis purposes on
materials obtained from patients suspected to be suffering from venereal disease,
and approved practitioners may obtain, free of cost, salvarsan or its substitutes.
The cost of diagnosis and treatment at hospitals and hostels is borne as to 75 per
cent, by the Ministry of Health and as to the remaining 25 per cent, bv the Council
and the participating authorities according to the user of the facilities available.
The Council makes direct payments to hospitals for salvarsan or its substitutes
supplied to medical practitioners in London. Details of cases treated in 1926 and
preceding years are given in Chapter I, pp. 33-34.
Veneroal
disease.
The Cuouncil's s venereal diseases scneme provines in general terms for lectures
and addresses to selected audiences, and for the publication and dissemination of
information. The British Social Hygiene Council exercises on behalf of the Council
certain of its powers relating to propaganda work. The Council undertakes publicity
work which can most usefully be directed through official channels.
A central council representing public authorities and voluntary agencies concerned
in rescue and preventive work in London undertakes the co-ordination of
rescue and preventive work among women and girls in London. The Council has
four representatives on the central council.
Rescue and
preventive
work.
The Council obtained powers in the session of 1926 to enable it to undertake
and contribute towards the cost of health propaganda work and also to enable
the metropolitan borough councils to undertake such work.
Health
propaganda.
Part I of the Children Act, 1908, provides that a person who undertakes for
hire or reward the nursing and maintenance of an infant under the age of seven
years apart from its parents shall, within 48 hours, give notice of such reception
to the local authority (in London the Council), and empowers such local authority
to fix the number of infants which may be kept in any dwelling. If an infant dies
the foster-mother must notify the coroner within 24 hours, and the Council within
48 hours. At the end of 1926, 3,082 nurse-infants and the premises of 2,448 fostermothers
were subject to inspection. Power is given to remove to a place of safety
an infant in the charge of a foster-mother who is unfit to have the care of it owing
to negligence, ignorance, inebriety, immorality, criminal conduct, or other similar
cause. Similar action may be taken where the premises are overcrowded, dangerous
or insanitary, or if the infant is being kept by a person or in any premises in contravention
of the Act. The Act also empowers a local authority to exempt either
partially or wholly premises which are so conducted as to render ordinary inspection
unnecessary. Particulars of action taken in recent years are as follows:—
Infant life
protection.
Year.
Infants
removed from
foster mothers.
Exemptions.
Deaths.
Infringements
discovered.
Cautions.
Prosecutions.
Convictions.
1921 20 3 42 302 285 26 26
1922 14 3 52 279 266 13 13
1923 6 3* 53 303 292 11 10
1924 7 4* 26 274 267 7 7
1925 3 1* 38 263 261 2 2
1926 4 1* 26 214 2110 4 3
* Partial.
The Child Adoption Committee issued in April, 1926, their Third and Final
Report dealing with questions relating to the amendment of Part I of the Children
Act, 1908. The Committee expressed the opinion that no grounds had been shown
14172 L 2