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of infants, and thus endeavour to reduce this high infantile mortality. My
recommendation was adopted, and it was decided to appoint a Health
Visitor provided the Local Government Board paid one-half the salary. The
Local Government Board, while sympathising with the objects of the District
Board, could not sanction the payment of a portion of her salary. The
project therefore fell through. I was very disappointed, for, had the
appointment been made, the District Board would have been the first Local
Authority to appoint a Health Visitor in London, and one of the first in the
whole country, and I have no doubt a large number of infants' lives would
have been saved. I brought the matter before the Public Health Committee
in 1902 after the formation of the Borough Council, and although the
Committee adopted the recommendation, it was rejected by the Council.
The matter was taken up by a Voluntary Society and a lady health visitor
was appointed for five years, her salary being paid by a private individual.
In 1907 when the services of the Health Visitor terminated, the question
of appointing a Municipal Health Visitor was again considered, but the
recommendation of the Public Health Committee was rejected by the Council.
It was also rejected in the following year, but in 1909 a Municipal Health
Visitor was appointed, followed by that of a second one in 1916. At present
we have an Assistant Medical Officer of Health and eleven Health Visitors,
all engaged in maternity and infant welfare work. There are also 5 municipal
Centres, and nine Voluntary Centres, working in conjunction with
the Public Health Department, and all working with one object, viz., the
saving of infants' lives. What is the result? During the last three years,
the infantile mortality has been less than 100 per 1,000 births in each year,
not only in the Borough as a whole, but in each of the four districts comprising
the Borough. The year 1921 was one of the hottest and driest on
record, and therefore the worst as far as infantile mortality is concerned,
and yet even in the Limehouse District in 1921 the infantile mortality was
below 100 per 1,000. This result is very satisfactory, especially as a large
number ofinfants underl year of age died from Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria—
diseases which were very prevalent in the district during the year.—
1911 was the nearest approach to 1921 with regard to the intense heat,
and in that year the infantile mortality in Limehouse and St. George's was
189 and 170 respectively. In the former year there was no epidemic of
Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria as in 1921.
(5). Milk Supply. The milk supplied during the year cost nearly
£12,000, which included £144 for dried milk. This is £8,000 less than in
the previous year, due partly to a more efficient check on those who were not