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(4) The Deptford Mission, too, have a nurse, whose sphere of work
is probably chiefly east of High Street; the harder the district the
greater the honour.
(5) Two nurses are attached to St. James' Church, their headquarters
being in Pagnell Street.
Hospitals.
(l) The Albury Street Sick Babies' Home is situated in Albury
Street, off High Street. In 1922 the 8 cots were increased to 16.
These are intended chiefly for infants, but a few children up to 5 years
of age are admitted. The Deptford Borough Council has increased its
subscription from £200 to ,£"400 in 1922, in view of the fact that the
Conncil now has 8 cots at call in place of four as formerly. Cases are
sent in by the Maternity and Child Welfare Medical Officer and the
Medical Officer of Health direct from the Infant Welfare Centres, or
following upon information brought to us by the Health Visitors. We
send in cases of pneumonia, bronchitis, marasmus, debility, the intractable
dyspepsias, etc. Infectious diseases are not admitted. This
Babies' Home is a God-send without a doubt, situated as it is in the
heart of our East Ward, in which ward our Infant Mortality-rate is 112,
the highest in the Borough. The East Ward contains many who are
living grey lives indeed. In his " Children of the Dead End," Patrick
Macgill told us of the lives of the navvies at Kinlochleven, a sordid
story of hard, physical toil, of drink, gambling and fighting, of men who,
some of them, knew little or nothing of God. I am not suggesting that
these conditions are comparable with our Giffen Street area, but there
is an echo. East of High Street we have hawkers, men who live off
the barrow, who sell wood, roast chestnuts, anything and everything.
I have no room here to enlarge upon the lives of our friends who throng
to the Princess Louise Infant Centre on Thursday afternoons. Miss
Margaret McMillan touches upon the subject in her grand book on
The Open Air Nursery School. There is a network of agencies, of
different religious bodies, and the workers are by no means few, but how
can you expect to raise folks living under conditions of overcrowding
and in cheerless surroundings. Unemployment, poverty and despair
knock the heart out of many. The " dole " and the Guardians help to
save the situation. From such homes, and others, we send in babies.
A mother comes to the Infant Welfare Centre and brings in her child
to me. For three days he has been " hangy " and he won't take his