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Sanitary Circumstances. 31
(b) The provisions of systematic advice and treatment for infants
at a liaby Clinic or Infant Dispensary.
(c) The continuance of these Clinics and Dispensaries so as to be
available for children up to the age when thev arc entered on a school
register, i.e., the register of a Public Elementary School, Nursery
School, Crfeche, Day Nursery school for mothers, or other school.
(d) The systematic home visitation of infants and of children
not on a school register as above defined.
After going into this question the Special Committee appointed
came to the following conclusions which were approved by the
rest of the P H. Committee, and confirmed by this Council:—
"We do not consider that for the Barnes Urban District a
complete scheme should be undertaken, but that the work commenced
since the Health visitor was appointed should be extended
(1) for securing improved ante-natal conditions, and (2) for continuing
the work in relation to children beyond the first year of age.
Attendance at the centre would of course be quite voluntary,
but if some attraction in the shape of tea was afforded, we think
that its work would soon become known, and by degrees the benefit
thus afforded would be appreciated.
We think it reasonably probable that the result of proceeding
on the lines recommended will be to reduce the infantile death rate,
but, even if this should not be the case, we are confident that the
result would be to save a considerable amount of unnecessary
suffering, and to insure a greater proportion of children commencing
their school lives in good health. We are advised by the Medical
Officer of Health that nearly 50 per cent, of the children require
some attention when they first go to school, and that one-third of
their ailments would not have existed if they had received proper
attention in the preceding four years.
As a general rule the infantile death-rate increases with the
aggregation of population, i.e., it seems to be necessarily higher as