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101
12. MIDWIVES ACTS, 1902-1926.
Number of Notices of Intention to Practice, January, 1936 27
Number of Notices of Intention to Practice during 1936. . 25
Total 52
Number of Midwives ceasing practice during 1936 18
Number of Midwives practising at end of 1936 34
There was no change in the arrangements for the employment
or subsidy of midwives by the Council.
Dr. Sheppard has acted as Inspector of Midwives and has
carried out the routine quarterly inspections, the results of which
have been satisfactory. Additional inspections in respect of emergencies
such as Ophthalmia Neonatorum, Puerperal Fever and
Pyrexia, and Maternal Mortality, have been made by your Medical
Officer of Health.
Of the midwives in active practice during 1936, an average
of 12 were employed at the Maternity Home and 8 by the Walthamstow
District Nursing Association, leaving 14 independent midwives
in active practice. Of these 14, one practised at her own
registered maternity home, and the other 13 had the following
number of cases:—83, 81, 43, 41, 34, 12, 4, 4, 2, 1, 1, 1 and nil
within the Borough (midwifery and maternity).
The following table shows the work done by midwives (including
those employed at Thorpe Coombe Maternity Home) during 1936:—
No. of confinements attended as a midwife 1,122
,, ,, ,, ,, maternity nurse 194
,, medical aid notices sent 471
,, notifications of deaths 4
,, twin births notified 13
,, stillbirths notified 12
,, notifications of liability to be a source of infection 4
,, ,, ,, laying out a dead body 1
,, ,, ,, artificial feeding 1
,, ,, ,, disinfection 4
The table includes the following numbers with regard to work
done at Thorpe Coombe :—
Midwifery cases, 584 in Home and 35 on District.
Maternity cases, 76 in Home and 4 on District.
Medical Aid Notices, 365.
The percentages of medical aid notices were:—
Total, 41.8. Maternity Home, 58.5. Domiciliary midwives
, 21.0.