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18
VACCINATION.
Mr. Banner, the Vaccination Officer, informs me that 253 children
in the Borough were vaccinated in 1919; this leaves a very large
balance unvaccinated and means that only half the children born are
vaccinated. At the present time there must be hundreds of, children
unvaccinated. Should an outbreak of small pox occur almost certainly
numbers of these children would be victims, and the attention of
parents and guardians should be drawn to the great responsibility they
are incurring by allowing their children to remain unvaccinated.
DISINFECTION.
Disinfection is carried out by fumigating the rooms with Formalin
gas combined with the spraying with Formalin in solution, and the
Council's super-heated steam disinfecting apparatus is used on an
average about twice a week for disinfecting articles of bedding,
clothing, etc. Such disinfections are carried out for other reasons than
notifiable diseases, such as in connection with cancer cases, skin
diseases, septic cases in hospitals and in connection with removal
or deaths of tuberculous patients.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The powers under the Midwives Act are exercised by the County
Council.
There are three trained midwives practising in Bromley.
There are three Infant Welfare Centres in the Borough : —
j. St. Luke's Institute, Bromley Common
2. St. Mary's Hall, Farwig Lane
3. Wesleyan Hall, Widmore
Mothers and Children meet weekly at the Centres. Miss Day,
Health Visitor, acts as Superintendent of the Centres. Mothers are
instructed in every detail of Infant Rearing. The babies are weighed
regularly and any departure from the usual health of the child is noted
and advice is given with regard to the smaller ailments by a doctor
who attends the meetings. For some time the work of the Health
Visitor has been very much increased and if was felt assistance was
desirable and at the present time an Assistant Health Visitor has been
appointed.