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Maternity & Child Welfare.
Before reporting on the Maternity and Child Welfare scheme I think it is well to draw attention
to the Infantile Mortality Kate since 1914, which shows what really is the result of infant welfare
work in this district.
We have during the latter years been amongst the districts of the country with the best record
in this respect. In the year 1933 we have beaten all previous records.
When one looks back, as I have said before, on an ideal of 60 per 1,000, which was held up
years ago as an ideal to aim at, but which would never be attained, one feels that as Medical Officer
of Health one has not lived in vain, nor that one's administrative efforts to do well for the infants
under one's care have been anything but a success.
The scheme is as follows:—
Three sessions weekly at the Congregational Hall, Douglas Road, Hounslow, on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons.
Three sessions weekly at the Public Hall, Isleworth, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
Two sessions weekly at Heston Village Hall, one on Tuesday afternoons, and one on Friday
mornings.
One session weekly at Clipstone House on Thursday mornings.
At each of these Clinics infant consultations are carried out. Babies and toddlers are regularly
weighed. Dried milks, cod liver oil emulsion, virol, etc., are on sale as directed by the Medical Officer.
The Mothers can obtain a cup of tea and biscuits at a cost of 1d.
As reported last year the increase in the work is making things extraordinarily difficult to keep
pace with generally, and especially by reason of the limitations of Isleworth Public Hall and Clipstone
House. The incessant influx of population and economic circumstances are bringing more and more
new mothers anxious to obtain advice.
The number of new houses erected in the Borough during the year was 1,056, and when it is
realised that about 1,000 houses have been erected every year during the previous 8 years, it gives
some index of the abnormal and continuing growth of the district which, at the last Census (1931)
was, out of the whole County, fourth in the percentage of increase of population over the previous
census.
I still get repeated appeals from various mothers to help them to obtain a Council House.
I am glad to place on record the way in which the Housing Officer is co-operating in order to
ensure that the best results are obtained in the housing and re-housing of the people of the district,
and it is all to the good that there is greater co-operation between the Housing Committee and the
Health Committee.
As was forecast last year, the growth of the Clinic at Clipstone House is necessitating a second
weekly session.
This will be rapidly filled. There is already difficulty in dealing with the western end of the
town and the prospect of the addition of Cranford to this Area, two miles away from the Clinic, is
going to make things still more difficult. The temporary building scheme for improving the
conditions at Isleworth Clinic has been dropped in view of the maturing of a scheme for a really good
permanent Clinic at Isleworth; and the use of Busch House, which has been purchased by the Council
is under consideration, as a temporary expedient until the permanent building can be erected.
As I reported last year, the efficient Dental Scheme is bringing more and more toddlers under
review than anything else.
The plea that I put in last year for Cookery Demonstrations bids fair to become established.
The Carnegie Trustees have granted me £'500 towards Nutritional Research from the point
of view of cookery, and one of the grounds for the application that I made was the knowledge we should
get as a result of research which we could communicate to the people in the Clinics and in their homes.
As I said on previous occasions, I am a practical cook and time after time after time when I
go into the humbler homes, by reason of that knowledge, it grieves me sorely to see the messy meals,
or apology for meals, which are served not only in a wasteful manner but in a manner ignorant of all
nutritional needs and so often served in a manner which takes away from the meal any idea of comfort
or pleasure in its consumption.
My Council have also offered to help in anything that will benefit the people for whom they
are responsible. They have agreed to assist the Carnegie Grant by erecting a special research kitchen
and supplying the necessary apparatus, fuel, gas, etc., up to an amount of £120, thereby leaving the
£500 grant from the Carnegie Trustees to be devoted in full to the actual Research Work.
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