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102
Sunlight Clinic.—The Women's League of Service for
Motherhood in July, 1925, started a Sunlight Clinic in their
Institution at Welfare Road. This Clinic is subsidized by
the Council. I append some extracts from the report issued
concerning the Clinic:—
"The patients for the Sunlight Clinic come
"from the rickety, backward and debilitated
"children of poor homes and poor parents."
"The majority of the children have certainly
"improved, their weights have gone up, there is
"more colour in their cheeks, their eyes are brighter,
"they smile and laugh more; they are more alert
"and observant, their muscles are firmer and they
"stand and walk more steadily. The parents
"report that they sleep better and their appetite
" is improved."
As stated in the first section of this report, the Maternal
mortality is 2.85, which is distinctly low, considering the
conditions pertaining in this area. Every case of death
during child-birth and every case of death in an infant is
fully enquired into by a Health Visitor, and the circumstances
reported to me. Recently, Dame Janet Campbell, Senior
Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, has begun an
investigation into the causes of premature birth; the Council's
staff are lending all possible assistance in this highly
important matter.
"Home Helps," is the name given to women who are
employed by the Council to assist in the homes during the
lying-in period of certain necessitous women. These "helps"
are specially selected and approved by the Health Visitors
as being suitable for the work. A list of such available
women is kept at the Town Hall, anv person concerned being
entitled to see this list as an aid to the selection of a suitable
Home Help. The work of these women is closelv supervised
hv the Health Visitor, and onlv those people from homes
clean and free from infectious disease are allowed to come
to the lying-in patient. The Health Visitor also visits the house
several times during the stay of the Home Help in the house, in
order to see that she performs her duties and also to give any
advice needed. The duties of these women are briefly set
out in the following form, a copv of which is handed
to each one on her accenting duty. The object of
the quick return of the intimation of the commencement
of duties is in order that the Health Visitor