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At that time a woman inspector from the Public Health Department visited a certain number of
newly-born infants and reported that the mothers "show a real anxiety to follow the advice given
to them." Reliance for the information of this group of births was placed upon lists supplied by
registered midwives, but in the following year the Council adopted the Notification of Births Act,
1907 (extended in 1915 to make general the compulsory notification of births) which provided the
Department with information of all births occurring in the Borough.
It is of special significance that in these early years "Infantile Mortality" formed the main theme in
discussing child welfare in the annual reports of the medical officer of health, and it will be necessary
to refer again to it later in these notes. In 1912, three specially trained women inspectors devoted a
considerable part of their time to what was then known as "baby work."
The First Scheme.—It was not until 1914 that the term "Maternity and Child Welfare" was first
used. In that year the Local Government Board (predecessor of the Ministry of Health) suggested
in a memorandum the lines upon which a maternity and child welfare scheme might be constructed.
This involved the establishment of ante-natal clinics, infant consultations and the provision of hospital
accommodation for women during their confinement. In St. Marylebone it was seen that there was
already in existence everything necessary for a complete scheme, as suggested by the Board, to ensure
the fullest possible provision for both mother and child. The Maternity and Child Welfare Act of
1918 widened further the powers of the Council in this connection, and these powers were subsequently
embodied in the Public Health (London) Act, 1936.
Side by side with the home visitation carried out by the Council's health visitors, aided by voluntary
workers, the St. Marylebone Health Society continued, from 1907, to open centres—or schools of
mothercraft as they were named—in parts of the Borough where there appeared to be a need for them.
Of the existence of the need there was no doubt, as with the proposed establishment of ante-natal
clinics in 1914, for example, it was found that of 46 women questioned, 14 only had been examined
or seen by a doctor during pregnancy, and of these 14,11 were first confinements.
In 1919, after many changes of premises during the intervening twelve years, there were five centres
providing ante- and post-natal and infant consultations under medical supervision at the following
addresses: No. 14, Salisbury Street; No. 30, Marylebone Lane; No. 8, Ogle Mews; Lord Roberts'
Club, Barrow Hill Road; and No. 101, Crawford Street. During this time, in addition to the normal
functions of the clinics, the interest of the mothers was sustained by mothercraft competitions (making
and adapting of garments, cooking, laundry work, etc.); lectures on health and sanitation; needlework
and other classes; and summer outings.
Four other welfare centres, also maintained by voluntary organisations, were established later at
Queen Charlotte's Hospital and the Middlesex Hospital (at both of which maternity accommodation
was available) and at the Western General Dispensary and Church Army Dispensary.
In addition, the Health Society established a dental clinic for mothers and young children in 1917,
and a year later opened at No. 20, Marlborough Hill a nursing home for 'wasting' babies which,
unfortunately, had to close in 1922 owing to lack of funds despite the Council's contribution of £1,000
per annum. In 1918 also, a massage clinic was started at No. 101, Crawford Street.
A number of other voluntary bodies assisted in the scheme, the connecting link between them all
being the Public Health Department of the Council. It will be seen that the St. Marylebone Health
Society were responsible for providing the bulk of the facilities at this time and on many occasions
generous tribute was paid to this body and those who worked for it for all they had done in relation
to maternal and child welfare. The Council's staff at this stage consisted of six health visitors. Two
were engaged full time on the work, the remaining four giving part-time only as they held dual appointments
as sanitary inspectors. Voluntary workers of the Health Society also assisted at the centres
and in home visitation.
At the present time, when the Home Help Service is an important ancillary to maternity and child
welfare, it is interesting to note that home helps were employed by the Council in 1919 and that,
moreover, it was intended to employ only women who had received special training in the work at one
of the welfare centres. The difficulty of finding suitable women was apparently as acute then as it is
today, for it was finally decided to engage women experienced merely in ordinary housework, and the
arrangement is reported to have proved highly successful.
In 1927 the Diphtheria Immunisation Clinic started and has continued until the present day when
it may safely be claimed that the percentage of children protected against the disease is extremely
high and compares favourably with the results obtained in other areas. In this year also the actinotherapeutic
section of the Health Society was opened at the Salisbury Street Welfare Centre, the
apparatus being presented by Mr. Frank Keevil, a member of a well-known firm in the Borough.