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 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
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the directions of the committee controlling the Centre. Reports as to the work
done by them are rendered fortnightly to the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee of the Borough on lines similar to those laid down for the municipal
health visitors.
An average of 73 dinners daily were served during the year at the centre,
152, Ivingsland Road. At 31, Herbert Street, since its opening, the average number
has been 22 daily. For confinement cases special invalid dinners are provided.
The amounts of milk allowed to nursing and expectant mothers and children during the year under consideration and the two preceding years, together with the numbers of families supplied, and the cost of the milk, are as. shown in the subjoined table:—
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of families to whom milk allowed | 1,359 | 2,607 | 2,559 |
| Number of gallons of milk allowed | 31,798 | 76,726 | 62,164 |
| Total cost of milk allowed during year | £5,014 3s. 4d. | £11,952 9s. 2fd. | £7,459 13s. 9d. |
The total amounts of dried milk disposed of during the year were 5,419 lbs, of
Glaxo and 185 lbs. of Lacta sold, and 3,440i lbs. of Glaxo and 99½ lbs. of Lacta allowed
free. Virol to the extent of 282½ lbs. was sold and 191f lbs. were allowed free.
It may be mentioned that shortly after the commencement of the financial year
1922-23 the expenditure of the Borough Council upon the provision of milk and dinners
in connection with their maternity and child welfare work became the subject of
correspondence with the Minister of Health. At the end of the period covered by
this report the matter was still under consideration.
In the course of the negotiations with the Ministry upon this subject, the method
of giving effect to the Ministry's Circular No. 185 in the Borough was closely investigated
on behalf of the Ministry. Certain alterations in procedure were subsequently
suggested by the Minister. The most important of these were as follows :
The consideration of all milk applications by a Sub-Committee consisting of the
Chairman of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, the Borough Accountant
and the Medical Officer of Health; the discontinuance of allowing both milk and
dinners to the same person; arranging for a reduction in the price of the milk
purchased by the Borough Council, and increasing the stringency as regards the
scale of income entitling applicants to be recipients of milk from the Borough Council.
These suggestions were given effect to and resulted in a considerable saving.
A word is necessary with respect to the Model Maternity and Child Welfare
Centre with the construction of which the Committee decided to proceed, as mentioned