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6
PUBLIC MORTUARY,
No bodies were received at the Borough of Barnes Public Mortuary
during the year. Although the mortuary is still available for use if
required, owing to war conditions in practice the police authorities,
who mainly make use of the mortuary, have arranged as a matter of
convenience that bodies on which post-mortems, etc., are required are
sent to the mortuary at Richmond.
CLEANSING STATION.
Owing to the increase in the number of persons requiring treatment
at the Borough Cleansing Station it was decided during the year to
appoint whole-time male and female cleansing attendants.
INFANTILE MORTALITY RATE.
During 1941 the number of deaths of infants under one year of
age was 24, representing a rate of infantile mortality of 75 per 1,000
registered births. This is the highest rate on record for the Borough,
the lowest being that recorded the previous year.
It is worthy of comment that of these 24 deaths, 14 occurred during
the first week of life, 9 of which being due to prematurity, possibly
associated with the intense air-raiding in the early part of the year.
Eleven of the deaths occurred in hospitals and 5 in private nursing
homes—eight only occurring at home.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Early in the year, as a result of continued efforts, suitable temporary
premises were obtained to enable maternity and child welfare clinics
to be held in the Mortlake Parish.
Cod liver oil and orange juice, provided by the Ministry of Food,
were distributed throughout the year to expectant mothers and children
under 5 years of age at each of the two maternity and child welfare
centres in the Borough.
An arrangement for the issue of additional clothing coupons to
expectant mothers was instituted by the Board of Trade, in co-operation
with the Ministry of Health. These coupons were issued from the
Public Health Department.
As a result of reports and investigation it became apparent in the
course of the year that some additional day nursery provision would
be required for the care of children of mothers in employment Representations
were made to the Ministry of Health for permission to
establish additional day nurseries. The matter was still under consideration
at the end of the year.