[Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough.

Middlesbrough (England). County Borough Council.

Date:: 1909

Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Middlesbrough County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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i? be found a brief summary of the deaths and the effects of various forms of feeding upon the mortality. In the course of this work the Health Visitors have been able to estimate the amount of care and attention given to the infants, and to point out better methods of feeding when satisfactory progress was not being made. No cases of wilful neglect or carelessness were noted, but ignorance played a very important part, especially in regard to injudicious feeding and clothing. One very significant fact was observed, namely, that difficulty was experienced in gaining entrance to many of the homes owing to the inmates being still in bed, often as late as noonday. This is thought to be one of the results of the lack of food and fire owing to poverty. In addition to the visits to newly-born infants, the following work has been done during the year : — Visits to Homes Of School Children).—149 houses from which children, in a dirty or verminous condition, were attending school, were visited and instructions given as to the cleansing of the rooms and bedding. 104 re-visits were made to these houses, and in each case they were found to be improved. inspection of [Vilcfwives.—-There are 18 Certified Miclwives living and practising in this Borough, and 4 more who live in North Ormesby but practice in Middlesbrough ; only three of the above are trained Midwives. 44 other uncertified women are known to be practising. During the year the Health Visitors made 42 visits to the Certified Midwives, inspecting their outfits and books with a view to enforcing the Regulations of the Central Midwives' Board. 56 visits were also made to the uncertified Midwives. There were only two cases of Puerperal Fever reported during the year, both of which occurred in the Vulcan Ward. One of these confinements was attended by a Medical Practitioner and one by a Midwife. The cause of the disease in one case appeared to be due to the dirty condition of the house. Both cases recovered. Houses Let-in-Lodgings. -There are 70 tenement houses which have been regis¬ tered as Houses Let-in-Lodgings, of which 55 are occupied by families, the remaining 15 being practically unregistered Common Lodging-houses and occupied by men only. The Health Visitors made 91 visits to the rooms occupied by the families, 12 were found to be dirty, 5 cases of sickness were advised to procure medical attention. House-t®-House Visits.—Houses in the following Streets were visited and inspected, viz. :—St. Hilda's Ward—the small yards and courts off Durham Street, Commercial Street and Dacre Street. Vulcan Ward—Rock Street. Newport Ward—Queen Mary Street, with the following results : —