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In 1907 tuberculosis was more prevalent in Stepney than in any
other part of London and it was in this year that the Jewish Board of
Guardians appointed 2 Tuberculosis Visitors to visit patients suffering
from phthisis.
In 1911 a Dispensary for the Prevention of Consumption was opened
at 4, Arbour Square.
In 1912 two further Dispensaries were opened at 208, High Street,
Shadwell and at 18, Great Prescot Street.
The Stepney Borough Council took over all 3 voluntary Tuberculosis
Dispensaries together with their staffs in 1921 and in 1924 the
Tuberculosis Officers were appointed to the Poor Law Hospitals for
consultative purposes.
Between 1927 and 1929 a handicraft class was begun at 208, High
Street, Shadwell in connection with the Dispensary and an L.C.C. openair
school was opened at the rear of 35 Stepney Green which premises
at that time functioned also as a Tuberculosis Dispensary.
It was in October 1935 that the present Tuberculosis Dispensary
at Steel's Lane was opened. This is a modern building which was
designed specially for the purpose of tuberculosis detection and
supervision of patients and it has a well equipped laboratory in
addition to consulting rooms and waiting rooms. It serves the whole
of the Borough and it is this Dispensary together with the staff which
have now passed into other hands.
The success of the tuberculosis scheme is indicated by the decline
in deaths from phthisis-from 624 in 1901 to 68 in 1948.
With tho termination of the Borough Council's Statutory powers in
the administration of the Maternity and Child Welfare services, it is also
interesting to look back and to survey the development of Maternity
and Child Welfare and the work of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee since its inception on 26th March 1919.
The Maternity and. Child Welfare Act of 1918 gave full powers to
Local Authorities to establish and develop Maternity and Infant Welfare
Centres, but long before that individual boroughs and voluntary
bodies had given attention to the care of mothers and babies.
From early times France had taken measures for the protection of
infant life. The earliest efforts were made for the care of orphans
and abandoned infants, and a hospital for sick children was opened in
Paris in 1802.
Creches were opened in France in 1844 to enable married women
with young children to accept employment in factories.
Dr.Pierre Budin opened the first Infant Welfare Centre at the
Charite Hospital in Paris in 1892, a model for all future infant
welfare centres. Mothers brought their babies for inspection and.
weighing and advice was given on care and feeding. Soon many other
centres were opened in Paris and the provinces. The need for pure
milk centres became apparent and the first was opened in Fecamp.
In London, the Foundling Hospital was established by Chapter in
1739 in Hatton Garden-in 1748 Dr.William Cadogan a visiting physician
urging breast feeding and proper clothing for infants, etc.
With the "Dispensary for the Relief of the Infant Poor" in Red Lion
(iii)