London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Shoreditch 1914
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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91
I am much indebted to Miss Tucker, Secretary of the East London Friendly
Workers' Association, for her very valuable help in supplying nourishment for
those most in need, and often for a month at a time. The Hoxton branch of the
Invalid Dinner Kitchen supplies meals for the mother in certain carefully selected
instances during the first three weeks after childbirth, but assistance for prematernity
and maternity cases, in order to be really adequate, requires to be given
contiuously, and often for a period of many months duration.
Such assistance cannot be given by any of the existing organisation* in this
Borough, and the establishment of a restaurant to supply nourishing food to needy
mothers, before and after the birth of a child, would be of great benefit in many
instances.
The following table gives particulars as to the attendances on the weekly weighing days:—
| No. attending. | Total No. of attendances. | No. of days open. | Average attendance | Attendance on one day. | Attendance of individuals. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On day. | Of individual. | Maximum. | Minimum. | Maximum. | Minimum. | |||
| 175 | 791 | 51 | 15.51 | 4.5 | 29 | 3 | 29 | |
The figures relating to the attendances cannot be considered as unsatisfactory,
in view of the disadvantages under which this branch of the work was carried on.
At the beginning of the year the accommodation at the Town Hall was quite
inadequate for the purpose, and, in consequence, numbers had to be discouraged
rather than encouraged to attend. In June the room was considerably enlarged,
and the numbers attending increased rapidly, the maximum attendance of 29 being
attained at the end of August.
Early in September, and during my absence on annual leave, arrangements
over which I had no control were made to place this room at the disposal of the
workers of the National Relief Fund, and for the Weighing Centre to be transferred
to the Hoxton Baths, Pitfield Street. This sudden change of meeting-place
led to some confusion, and the attendances dropped considerably for some weeks,
and did not recover until the end of the year.
The addresses of some 599 of the births notified in that part of Hoxton lying
to the west of East Road and New North Road were handed to Miss Childe, the
official Health Visitor of the Shoreditch School for Mothers which has its headquarters
at No. 51, Brunswick Place. These were in due course visited by Miss
Childe, who also reports that some 807 attendances were made during the year at
the Infant Consultation Centre held at the address mentioned.