London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1921

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 67
53
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
General Remarks as to Benefits accruing from
Free Milk Supply.
The Health Visitors report that in many cases the Borough
grant of milk has enabled the nursing mother to prolong the
period of lactation.
The records kept at the Infant Welfare Centres show good
results in the health and general welfare of many infants who
otherwise would have been insufficiently nourished.
Some mothers who, in the Health Visitors' opinion, were
not carrying out their maternal duties in a satisfactory manner,
either through ignorance or carelessness, have been obliged to
attend the Centres in order to obtain milk, with it is hoped good
results.
Free dinners were also granted to necessitous expectant and
nursing mothers, and to children under five years of age on the
same scale. The necessity for the supply of free dinners was not
found to be very urgent.
17 mothers and six children were so helped during the year,
arrangements being made with local eating houses in each district
to provide the dinners at a cost of one shilling per head for
mothers and sixpence per head for children. This amounted
during the year to £33 15s. 6d.
The total number of visits paid respecting the supply of milk
and of meals amounted to 775.
Meat.
There are no public abattoirs in the Borough, and the
Sanitary Inspectors periodically inspect the slaughterhouses and
arrange as far as possible to be there on the days that slaughtering
of animals takes place.
121inspectors periodically inspect the slaughterhouses and
the year, and 1,539 carcases were examined by the Inspectors.
Action has been taken with regard to unsound meat, and no
carcases were condemned during the year. By far the greater