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30
Maternity and Child Welfare.
The work conducted during the past year has been amplified
in certain respects.
An attempt was made to bring all the agencies in the town
under the influence of the Council, but the effort failed.
The number of midwives practising in the district has
increased considerably, partly by fresh additions and partly by
appointments made by the Council. The town now possesses one
midwife to every 80 births, a figure which is in excess of what is
actually required.
Estimating the number of births for the current year as
1,000, and allowing 450 of these to the medical men, 650 are left
to be divided amongst eight midwives—two at the Hospital, two
at the Nurses' Home, one at the Hut, and two in private practice.
This gives an average of one to 80 births; a midwife should do
120 births.
It is to be borne in mind that with respect to births which
occur in institutions, maternal mortality has fallen considerably
during the last 50 years. There has, however, been little change
in this respect amongst those occurring in the Home. It is fully
realised that much of this death-rate depends on causes operative
before birth. These causes may or may not be capable of removal
in a practical sense, still until information is obtained that the