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15
Miss Baker, Miss Johnson and Miss Stokes, giving a great part of their time to the
visitation of homes from which births have been notified under the Notification of
Births Act, 1907.
In addition, the St. Marylebone Health Society, by means of its voluntary Health
Workers and the Infant Consultations which have been established as a result of the
activity of the Society, one in South Marylebone at Welbeck Street Dispensary and
another in North Marylebone at the Portman Club, in Church Street, performed
similar duties.
Large numbers of women attend these consultations with their babies and obtain
advice as to feeding, etc. At the Southern Consultation every Tuesday Dr.
Eric Pritchard, and every Thursday Dr. Eric Pritchard and Dr. Lane-Claypon,
examine, weigh and advise with regard to the babies, and on Wednesdays and
Thursdays at the Northern Consultation Dr. Christine Murrell and Dr. Emily
Mecredy do similar work.
These consultations and the work of the voluntary visitors have been and are of
the greatest value in connection with the prevention of infantile mortality and mothers
are resorting to the former in increasing numbers every year.
Apart from the consultation work, the Society by means of mothers' clubs and
provident clubs for expectant mothers carries out a great deal of social work also.
The club in the north was established some years ago and through it a much closer
touch with mothers has been brought about. In the south the club is now in its
second year and is rapidly making headway.
These institutions are deserving of the greatest praise and do an incalculable
amount of good amongst the women who attend them.
The total number of infants seen at Church Street during 1911, was 303, and at
Welbeck Street, 232, the total attendances at the former being 1685, and at the latter,
1911.
During the diarhoea period much useful work was done at the consultations, and
the following facts with regard to 108 cases seen at Church Street, kindly supplied by
Mrs. Dobell, the Secretary of the Society, are particularly interesting.
The numbers met with in each of the months from June to December were:— *
June, 7; July, 11; August, 24; September, 32; October, 11; November, 17;
December, 6.
Of the 108, 49 were entirely breast fed, 55 bottle fed, and 4 partly breast and
partly bottle fed. In 13 instances the same baby suffered twice, and in one case there were
three attacks—one in June, a second in October, and a third in December. This baby,
which was entirely breast fed till 1 year old, died of bronchitis early in January, 1912.