Page 17 - RVM-HB-KTHFB
P. 17
Keep The Home Fires Burning
In his Speech the doctor said, “It was in encouraging finding that Summer diarrhoea had
not in recent years been as prevalent as it had in the past”. This was due to the advice
given to nursing mothers by Mrs Bedford Carpenter the Health Missioners, and the council
for removing ‘breeding places for disease carrying flies’. Summer diarrhoea was often
associated with ‘bad housing, poverty, and drink’. The notifications of birth Act (1907)
meant a health visitor could make regular visits to child until it was school age. Advice
was given on the correct way to bottle feed and stopping the pernicious habit of using a
‘comforter’, vile things that introduced germs in to the baby’s mouth. It was a bad mother
who used such a method!
Dr Fosbroke, thought ‘Crèches were excellent institutions’ for places like Redditch, the
health visitor had tried to set up a day nursery but did not receive the influential backing
needed. “What wealthy mother gets up at five in the morning, to prepare her husbands
breakfast dress and feed six or seven children and then go to work?” She could only leave
her child with ‘ignorant persons’ who’s object was not care of baby but the money baby
bought with it.
He urged them to reconsider providing a nursery in the town. He said some people were
opposed to day nurseries because they thought it would encourage more married women
to work. But what would the nation do without women workers.
Source: Sue Tatlow Page: 17
In his Speech the doctor said, “It was in encouraging finding that Summer diarrhoea had
not in recent years been as prevalent as it had in the past”. This was due to the advice
given to nursing mothers by Mrs Bedford Carpenter the Health Missioners, and the council
for removing ‘breeding places for disease carrying flies’. Summer diarrhoea was often
associated with ‘bad housing, poverty, and drink’. The notifications of birth Act (1907)
meant a health visitor could make regular visits to child until it was school age. Advice
was given on the correct way to bottle feed and stopping the pernicious habit of using a
‘comforter’, vile things that introduced germs in to the baby’s mouth. It was a bad mother
who used such a method!
Dr Fosbroke, thought ‘Crèches were excellent institutions’ for places like Redditch, the
health visitor had tried to set up a day nursery but did not receive the influential backing
needed. “What wealthy mother gets up at five in the morning, to prepare her husbands
breakfast dress and feed six or seven children and then go to work?” She could only leave
her child with ‘ignorant persons’ who’s object was not care of baby but the money baby
bought with it.
He urged them to reconsider providing a nursery in the town. He said some people were
opposed to day nurseries because they thought it would encourage more married women
to work. But what would the nation do without women workers.
Source: Sue Tatlow Page: 17
