[Report 1906] / Medical Officer of Health, Weymouth & Melcombe Regis Borough.

  • Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1906] / Medical Officer of Health, Weymouth & Melcombe Regis Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    entries in their registers within 24 hours, stamped postcards being provided for the purpose. This scheme has worked efficiently in Bath, 50 per cent, of the births being thus notified, and the Midwives have raised no objection. On receipt of this notification the Health Visitor calls at the house, makes enquiries, gives advice, leaves a printed copy containing advice to Mothers, and reports to the Medical Officer anything that may require the aid or intervention of the Health Department. I have mentioned the Health Visitor as an official, it is due to say that many towns rely upon voluntary aid in this work, but I need not point out that voluntary assistance can not be relied upon so thoroughly as a permanent and paid official, neither as a rule have they the necessary training. In this town I should certainly strongly advise a properly trained lady assistant, who along with her duties as Health Visitor would also act as an Assistant Sanitary Inspector. The Staff in the Sanitary Department is much too meagre for the work. The duties of the Health Department have increased and multiplied exceedingly in recent years, and are continually on the increase, but the staff has remained the same, and much of the work has been allowed to get into arrear, and there seems little hope of working these arrears off with the present staff. Compared with other Health Resorts we are much understaffed, as is shewn by the accompanying list, where Weymouth occupies the lowest place. Assistance is much required, and I strongly advocate, apart from any scheme dealing specially with infantile mortality, that a qualified assistant be provided, but if any scheme for dealing with the reduction of infantile deaths is considered, then I would advise a female assistant who could undertake these duties and such others as deal more especially with females, such as inspection of such workshops as employ female labour, female outworkers, and general sanitary work. It would be possible, I think, to secure someone trained to such work for about £70 to £75 per annum, and this is a small sum to pay should it result in even the saving of a few of the nation’s assets per annum, and in reducing to some extent that delicacy of constitution that is so often the result of defective nourishment and unsanitary surroundings in infancy. Yours faithfully, W. B. Barclay. -♦- INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NOTIFIABLE). The year has been a most unfavourable one. 90 cases have been reported. Nearly treble the number occurring in 1905. Of this number, 65 are returned as occurring in Weymouth and 25 in Melcombe Regis. o