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maternal mortality.
The enquiries into maternal deaths, which the Ministry of Health has required to be
conducted, have not called for any particular organisation in my Department. With a small
City resident population, few deaths in this category are reported. Where such cases do
occur, investigations are conducted by me. No case was reported during 1937.
It may be of interest to note that, from 1900 to 1937 inclusive, only 17 maternal deaths
have occurred amongst City residents.
PROVISION OF DENTURES FOR MOTHERS AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS.
During 1935 it was felt that the Maternity and Child Welfare activities of the Corporation
were somewhat stultified by the fact that some of the City mothers in urgent need of
dental treatment were not in the position to meet the cost, and the Public Health Committee
decided to make free provision in such cases as the Medical Officer in charge thought necessary
and where the financial conditions justified it. Some contribution is obtained when
possible.
Two mothers were supplied with complete dentures and one mother was supplied with
new upper set in 1937.
PROVISION OF MILK FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN.
The Milk Act, 1934, authorised a scheme for the provision of milk for school children
and has as its object the increase in the demand for milk in schools by lowering the price
to scholars who are young children and young persons attending schools or courses for
unemployed boys or girls recognised for grant by the Board of Education.
The special price to these consumers is ½d. per ⅓ pint and the milk is supplied in ⅓-pint
bottles. Free milk is also provided in cases where children are unable to pay and where
necessity is certified by the Education Authority's Medical Officer.
A scheme for the detailed and administrative control has been put into operation and,
so far as London is concerned, it has been agreed that milk supplied under the scheme shall
be pasteurised milk and comply with the Milk (Special Designations) Order, 1936.
Details of the supervision of this milk appears on p. 56.
MIDWIVES ACT, 1936.
The above-mentioned Act provides a domiciliary service of midwives in London, and
for the purposes of its administration the City has been included by the London County
Council in Area B, which embraces the City and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Holborn,
Finsbury, Islington and St. Pancras. The total population of this area is estimated to
be nearly 600,000 people and the number of births in the year was about 10,000. Of these
births, nearly 7,000 took place in institutions and about 3,500 in private homes. Arrangements
have now been made as a consequence of this Act whereby every woman living in
London, who wishes her baby to be born in her own home, may have the services of one
of the London County Council midwives, and appropriate fees have been agreed in connection
therewith. Expectant mothers should apply at once to the midwife of their choice, and
the list of midwives can be obtained on application at the local council offices. Arrangements
have also been made for the advice of expert consultants when circumstances suggest this
to be desirable.
OPEN-AIR DAY NURSERIES.
During the summer months of 1935, 1936 and 1937, the London County Council granted
to the National Society of Day Nurseries permission to use a site in Battersea Park for
the erection of a marquee in which very young children might be looked after by the Society
in order that their parents might have some leisure. A small charge was made for the
accommodation, and light refreshment and simple games apparatus were provided, together
with, of course, necessary supervision. Such success has attended the experiment that
the General Purposes Committee of the London County Council felt that the scheme might
c