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(p) Collective Teaching of Expectant and Nursing Mothers.—As in
previous years, a special class in mothercraft has been held every Wednesday afternoon
at the Plumstead Welfare Centre. The object of this class is to demonstrate to mothers
suitable articles of attire for baby and to provide facilities for making them under
expert supervision. The total attendances at the class during the year was 577.
(q) Administration of the Public Health (Puerperal Fever and Puerperal
Pyrexia) Regulations, 1926.—The Council's scheme under these regulations
was fully described in the Annual Report for 1928. The extent to which they were
made use of is reported on fully in that part of the Infectious Disease Section of the
report which deals with the notification of these diseases.
(r) Blind Persons Act, 1920.—The Council, at the request of the London
County Council, have arranged that home visiting of blind children under five years
of age should be carried out by the Council's health visitors, and reports are furnished
to the County Council, as the occasion arises, when the home conditions are
unsuitable for blind children or it is advisable that the child should be admitted
into a suitable institution. During the year no fresh case came to the knowledge
of the department.
(g) Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925.—
The local authority may, in case of desertion of a child who is an orphan, administer
the payments on behalf of the child. No case under the provisions of this Act was
dealt with during the year.
Local Government Act, 1929.—In the Annual Report for 1929 I reported on
the draft scheme under Section 101 (6) of the above Act. This scheme provided in
its application to Woolwich for a payment of £1,500 a year to the British Hospital
for Mothers and Babies by this Council, and for payment to the Voluntary Centre
in Beresford Street of a sum of £14 per annum. In its final form these were
omitted from the schedule, the Council assuming the responsibility for the maintenance
of the voluntary centre, and payment of £1,500 per annum to the hospital
was recognised as payment under an agreement for work done.
The Council were desirous that they should be the supervising authority for
the infant welfare centre at the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies, but the
Minister of Health was of opinion that, as this centre is attached to a maternity
hospital and its work intimately related to the work of the hospital, it would be
undesirable to provide for the supervision of the hospital by the County Council
and for the supervision of the centre by the Borough Council.
There are two schedules to the scheme, the first defining the associations to
which the London County Council shall contribute, and the second, those to which