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Prior to the War, the District Nurses Home at Carisbrooke
Road (then administered by the Walthamstow District Nursing
Association) provided a certain number of maternity beds in one
of the two houses. It seems fitting therefore to refer here to the
fact that a baby girl "A.M.", who was born prematurely at Caris
brooke in June, 1934, and who at birth weighed only 16¾ ounces,
celebrated her 21st birthday in June, 1955. Even in these days of
thermostatically controlled incubators, it is regarded as a near
miracle when a baby under 2lbs. can be saved and up to 1950
there were only six well authenticated cases of survival of babies
with a birth weight of 16 ounces or under.
It is a tribute to the skill and care which was then given,
especially when the case notes reveal that by modern standards and
practice the methods of feeding were somewhat unorthodox.
At six months the weight was 9½lbs. and at the first birthday,
18lbs.
Trilene Analgesia.— At the beginning of December, a representative
of the manufacturers gave a demonstration to the medical
and midwifery staff in regard to the Emotril apparatus which was
to be supplied for the administration of Trilene. The apparatus
was to be used for a period of twelve months in order to decide
whether this type of analgesia should be substituted for gas and
air analgesia when gas and air apparatus requires renewal. Up to
the end of the year three patients had been given Trilene.