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satisfactory means of administering the Act in Wimbledon,"
and suggested that the Council should make arrangements
with the Society whereby the Nurse would be available for a
specified portion of her time by the Council, and should be
appointed and paid as an Assistant Inspector of Nuisances.
Miss Measures was accordingly appointed as such at a
salary of £50 per year to act under the Medical Officer of
Health's directions for not less than 15 hours per week.
In accordance with the provisions of the Act, all Notifications
are addressed to the Medical Officer of Health, and a
tentative scheme was agreed upon by the Society's Committee
and the Council whereby the Medical Officer of Health would
exercise his discretion as to the cases to be reported to the
Wimbledon Mothers' and Babies' Welcome Society.
It was decided, in the first instance, to only advise the
Society of those cases in which a medical practitioner or hospital
trained nurse or midwife was not in attendance on the
mother. It is estimated that about 230 confinements take
place in Wimbledon per year attended by "bona-fide" midwives,
i.e., those who have not had a professional training,
and it is in these cases that the influence of the Society would
appear to be more beneficial.
Provided that the Medical Officer in attendance does not
object, it was also proposed that cases attended by Poor Law
Medical Officers should be reported for visiting.
The Health Visitor's instructions in connection with the
working of the Act were issued as follows:—
(a) Visit the home in every case sent to her by the
Medical Officer of Health, and if she finds a medical
practitioner or hospital trained nurse or midwife in
attendance, not to visit again unless requested to do
so.
(b) If a "bona-fide" midwife or any other person is in
charge of the mother and infant, give such assistance
and instruction as may be necessary, and when, in
her opinion, it is desirable that a medical practitioner
or the Poor Law Medical Officer should be
called in, so advise, taking care in no case to recommend
any particular medical practitioner, even if
requested so to do.
(c) Report to the Medical Officer of Health upon the
visits made and action taken during the first month
after birth, and afterwards upon visits made up to
the time the infant is twelve months old.
Further, it was considered advisable that a card of Advice
to Mothers should be sent to every house in which a birth
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