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This appears to be a really valuable statistical result, and
certainly justifies the expense which the reform of the milk supply
entailed. Although feeding is only one of the factors in the mortality
amongst infants, it is not one that can be ignored by sanitary
authorities. It is, of course, not the only one, and other methods
must be adopted, but if it be within the range of possibility, no
method should be left untried.
The establishment of a Day Nursery in South Acton may also
be mentioned as one of the agencies which it is hoped will be instrumental
in reducing the infantile mortality in the South-West Ward.
Although the Council is precluded from supporting a Creche, the
initiation of the movement is due to the advocacy of the Chairman
of the Health Committee. As far back as 1904, Councillor Hunt
read a paper at the Congress of the Royal Institute of Public Healthpointing
out the conditions under which the children of women
employed during the day are being cared for. It will be remembered
also that a clause was proposed in the Acton Improvement Act
empowering the Council to establish and maintain one or more
creches. The Parliamentary Committee, though professing sympathy,
refused the application.
Philanthropic agencies took the matter up, and the Day Nursery
was opened in J anuary, 1908. It is too soon to estimate the value
of the institution, but it caused no surprise when it was known,
that within a few weeks of its establishment, children had to be
refused because all the cots and beds were occupied. The nursery
can only accommodate about 24 children, but in the South-West
Ward there are probably 200 babies under 12 months of age placed
out with neighbours, &c.( during the day. The conditions under
which most of these children are cared for in these houses are
extremely unsatisfactory. The women who take in these children
are often old, and the standard of cleanliness observed amongst
them is below that of the average for South Acton. It will be
observed that no less than 20 infants died from Bronchitis and 42
from Broncho-pneumonia. In the case of a large number of these,