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63
Ante-nalal attention was given throughout the year to venereal
infedions complicating pregnancy, and treatment either offered
where possible locally or necessary arrangements made for its
being carried out at neighbouring hospitals. Syphilis is the great
cause of still-birth and abortion, and at a later period of several
Varieties of insanity and mental defect, while gonorrhæ causes
Steriiity in both male and female, and is followed by many of the
more serious gynæcological and obstetric complications.
The average number of attendances at the ante-natal clinic
during the months of October, November and December reached
19.2, and the necessity became obvious for the opening of one additional
clinic per week, the question being under the consideration
of the responsible committee at the end of the year.
WORK OF THE HEALTH VISITORS.
The duties of the health visitor fall broadly under two head
ings—in the home and at the centre, the former ranking in importance
over the latter. An attempt is made to visit as far as
possible all notified births before the tenth day after
finement, when under normal circumstances the attendances of
the midwife cease, a liason being in this way established between
the midwives and health visiters, which has been followed by
satisfactory results. Regular subsequent visitation is carried out
by Health visitors of all cases which cither do not attend a centre
regularly or not at all, and herein lies the more important part
of the health visitor's work, home visiting therefore occupying
the,major part of her time and attention.
Owing to the numbers attending the various centres it was
found impossible for the staff to do much more than keep pace
with the weighing of babies; health talk to mothers, sewing and
Knitting demonstrations, etc., although forming an important part