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Officer in attendance there. This institution is decidedly useful, if only to
relieve us of overcrowded attendances at the Council's centre in St. Michael's
Hall, Bury Street.
Voluntary Agencies.—In a circular letter (138) the Ministry of Health
advised Local Authorities to co-operate with voluntary agencies in their district
and if necessary, to render them financial assistance. The Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee advised no action thereon.
Voluntary Workers.—My experience confirms that of other Medical
Officers of Health. Official workers have the training and knowledge that
enable them—when the opportunity occurs—of imparting good advice to the
mothers in attendance at the centres, as well as at their homes. Voluntary
workers have an enthusiasm that is spasmodic and not well-informed: therefore
they cannot be relied on to attend regularly and are only useful in so far as they
obey the instructions of the official workers and in carrying out simple tasks,
such as weighing the babies and the sale of virol, etc. To take over temporarily
their infants from the mothers enables the latter to give their undivided attention
to the health-talks of the Lady Superintendent, Miss A. Bintcliffe, who was
appointed in April, 1921. These little talks, now resumed, will benefit the
loving, but ignorant, mothers immensely. I hope that the horrid spectacle of
babies sucking " dumb teats " will never be seen again in our Centres.
Married Women's Labour.—Ever since I have had women officers
on my staff, they have been instructed to advise all married women to let the
care of the home, husband and children, take the first place in their life-work
and therefore not to attempt work which necessitates their absence from the
home for long periods of each day. Shocking examples of neglect of this advice
too frequently come under my notice in connection with dirty homes and verminous
and neglected children. This teaching has been continued up-to-date,
but it is difficult for myself and officers to enforce in Edmonton, when it is
common knowledge that my Council itself employs married women amongst
the school teachers. Indeed, the medical officers of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Centres and at the Mentally Defective School are both married women.
District Maternity Home.—In April the Committee recommended
that the Council seal an agreement with the Guardians accepting the responsibility
for the admission of pregnant women into the maternity wards which are
separate from the pauper wards and have a separate entrance from Bull Lane.
Such admission to be authorised by the medical adviser and not, as advised
by the Government, by the M.O.H. At the end of the year the agreement on
these terms had not yet been settled.