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117
The chief point of interest in the record of the work of
1912 is the great increase in the number of mothers who
make use of the Infant Consultation, which is held at the
Town Hall every Wednesday afternoon, and at which the
Medical Officer of Health and myself are present. The
total number of attendances for last year is 863 as compared
with 460 in 1911. This is most satisfactory, for it proves
that the women really value this institution, and are glad
to come at regular intervals to have their babies weighed and
be advised as to the best method of feeding and rearing them.
The majority of the mothers attend very regularly. A promise
is always extracted from them on their first appearance
at the Consultation that they will attend regularly; the Consultation
is not intended for the casual weighing of abnormally
large babies to gratify their mothers' pride.
The Consultation serves also a very useful purpose
enabling one to test the latest theories in infant hygiene.
For example, it has been the custom on the Continent to
feed infants at much longer intervals than has been the
practice in England. Recently, English specialists in
infant hygiene have also recommended the longer intervals.
During the past year this method has been adopted with
infants attending the Consultation, with marked benefit,
particularly in cases of vomiting and indigestion.
The summer of 1912 being very wet, there were very few
cases of zymotic enteritis notified, and I was able, consequently,
to devote more time to the routine visiting of new-born
infants. All the same the number visited (1,475) is only
three-fifths of the total number notified, and of the two-fifths
which did not receive visits, it is probable that quite half