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8
dants and women attached to First Aid Posts. In nearly
all cases those concerned have been willing volunteers
and welcomed the opportunity of employing their time
usefully.
GAS/AIR
ANALGESIA.
The Council has decided to afford
facilities for the administration of
gas/air analgesia to women in childbirth
attended by the Council and Association Midwives.
Six apparati have been purchased and are distributed in
the three major sub-divisions of the Borough. As these
machines are somewhat bulky, a difficulty was encountered
with regard to transport. The Civil Defence
authority was therefore approached, and sanction given
to transport them by means of Civil Defence vehicles,
either light mobile units or sitting-case casualty cars, with
the clear understanding that this form of transport would
not be available in the event of an "alert." The Central
Midwives Board requires that a second person in addition
to the midwife should be in attendance, and that
these persons should either be trained nurses, midwives
or members of the British Red Cross Society or St. John
Ambulance Association.
Owing to the many onerous duties of the midwives,
it was not thought possible to rely on being able to obtain
their services on all occasions. Therefore members of the
Casualty Service who had joined one or other of the aforementioned
organisations were approached and asked to
volunteer for this work. I am pleased to say that they
readily responded, and several members have been enrolled
on the panel of "second persons." The thanks
of the Council are due to these ladies for their kind offer
of help.