Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne.

  • Melbourne (Vic.). Health Committee.
Date:
[1927]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health Committee's report / City of Melbourne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/20 (page 14)
    PUERPERAL FEVER. Two cases of puerperal sepsis were reported by medical practitioners, as compared with three cases last year. There was one death, in a multi¬ para, aged 36 years, about two weeks after delivery. The other case was a post-abortal septicaemia, with general peritonitis, which recovered. MATERNITY, AND CHILD WELFARE. During 1927 maternity and child welfare work has been carried out at the Baby Health Centres at Rathdown Street, North Carlton; the Women’s Hospital, Carlton; the Flemington Town Hall; Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne; and at the North Melbourne Town Hall, where there is a sub-centre managed by the Sister in charge of the Abbotsford Street Centre. The main work at the centres has been baby health work, but expectant mothers have also been given advice as to ante-natal care and hygiene. There have been four Sisters throughout the year in charge of the centres, and in December a Relieving Sister was also appointed. Dr. Kincaid was appointed by the Council in October to act as Medical Officer for the Supervision of the Child Welfare activities in the City, under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health. She commenced duty on November 28. The special bottled supply of pasteurised milk from the Willsmere Co. has been continued. 185 children were supplied, as follows:—Carlton Centre, 75, North Carlton, 25; North Melbourne, 37; Flemington, 48. The following table has been compiled from the returns furnished by the four City Centres:— Number of new babies attending. 1,137 Number of individual babies attending. 1,987 Total number of attendances of babies.13,257 Total number ■ of attendances of expectant mothers. 347 Numbers of individual expectant mothers . . . . 246 Number of visits paid by nurses to homes . . 6,157 Number of babies referred to doctor or hospital 609 Number of cases attending with diarrhoea . . 62 Of the total number of babies attending under nine months of age, 65 per cent, were breast-fed; 11 per cent, were partially breast-fed; 24 per cent, were artificially fed. FOOD ADULTERATION. 321 samples of food were purchased for purpose of analysis:—Milk, 287; condensed milk, 1; coffee and chicory, 1; coffee, 2; ground ginger, 2; mustard, 12; white pepper, 9; vinegar, 7. Seventeen milk samples did not comply with the standard, and prose¬ cutions were instituted, which resulted in fines and costs amounting to £85/2/- being inflicted. The number of samples of milk purchased for analysis disclosed 5.9 per cent, of adulteration. One sample of coffee and chicory was not labelled as required by the Food and Drug Standards Regulations. A prosecution was instituted, and a fine and costs amounting to £3/13/6 was inflicted. Two samples of coffee were found to contain chicory. Prosecutions were instituted, and fines and costs amounting to £7/7/- were inflicted. The total number of adulterated samples of foods was 20. The total fines and costs imposed for food adulteration amounted to £96/2/6. Nine seizures of food unfit for human consumption were made, com¬ prising flour, raisins, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish, tinned vegetables, tinned mushrooms, jam, golden syrup, tinned fruits, desiccated cocoanut, coffee and chicory, curry powder, chutney, essences, sauces, currants, oatmeal, tea, condensed milk and cheese. Five seizures were also made of food utensils on account of their defective condition. For breaches under the Health Act and Regulations relating to food premises and food sold for human consumption, proceedings were taken in 38 cases, and fines and costs amounting to £135/2/6 were imposed. Three samples of milk were submitted to Dr. Hilda Rennie for bac¬ teriological examination.