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11
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Three hundred and ninety notifications of births, including 24 still births, made in
accordance with the requirements of the Notification of Births Act, were received Of these,
58 only referred to City births, and the balance were transferred to the appropriate authorities
Fifty-eight initial visits were made as a consequence of these notifications, and 1,119
subsequent visits in connection with infant welfare and ante-natal work
No visit was necessary in connection with a case which came within the scope of the
Children Act, 1908, or in respect of a nurse child
Supplies of milk and dried milk, at cost price or free, according to circumstances, have
been provided, according to the practice which has been in operation for some years Cod
Liver Oil is also given if its administration appears to be desirable
One home help was necessary during 1934
There were 14 notifications of verminous school children under the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1904
Five visits were made in connection with infant life protection and none in connection
with cases of Ophthalmia
It was not necessary to utilise the lying-in accommodation provided by the City Corporation
at St Bartholomew's Hospital, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government
Act, 1929, during 1934
Dr Charles F Harris, who is in charge of the Corporation Clinic held at St Bartholomew's
Hospital, has kindly prepared the following brief report on the working of the Clinic during
1934:—
THE CITY OF LONDON WELFARE CENTRE, HELD AT ST BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL
The City of London Infant Welfare Centre has continued actively during 1934 It will
be recalled that an additional session each week was started at the beginning of 1934 This
step has proved to be fully justified Not only were the total attendances higher than 1933
by 350, but the number of families attending was increased by 25 This, at first sight,
may appear a small increase on a total of 2,150 attendances, but it must be remembered
that the single session a week had become much too lengthy an affair Mothers and children
were kept waiting until very late in the afternoon Now, with two sessions, it is possible
for them to be seen without too long a delay at the clinic, and the fact that over 300 more
attendances were made shows that the delay was no longer a serious obstacle to the mothers
attending
During the year 1934 there were some minor changes in the personnel of the clinic
Dr Franklin, who, up to September, 1934, had been doing the actual medical work in the
clinic, went to the United States in that month His work, as far as the City of London
is concerned, has been continued during his absence by Dr C H Stuart Harris, the temporary
Chief Assistant to the Children's Department of St Bartholomew's Hospital Dr Franklin
will return during 1935, and it is hoped that he will then be able to resume his work In
addition, Miss Backhouse's work has been made more manageable by the addition of another
Health Visitor One would like to emphasise again at this point how much the success
of this Welfare Centre has followed on the energy and skill that Miss Backhouse has put
into the work It is a very reasonable step that she should have an assistant
The relations with the Hospital have been very cordial, and the close association between
the Corporation's Welfare Centre and the Hospital Children's Department has made it
possible that those infants attending the Centre, who fall ill, have been able to get Hospital
attention at a very early stage of their illness
(Signed) CHARLES F HARRIS, MD, FRCP,
Physician to the Children's Department,
St Bartholomew's Hospital