106 ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION 



and infant are those in which the work of the amateur 

 woman is most important. The source of all disease 

 is now traced to the dangers of infancy, ante-natal con- 

 ditions and parental irresponsibility. The instinctive 

 love of all women for infants, the sympathy one 

 mother feels for another, make women, amateur and 

 expert, the proper ministers for women and children. 



There are 200 such voluntary societies in Great 

 Britain and they have undertaken very wide functions, 

 ! viz. : Lectures to mothers on hygiene, home-nursing, 

 ^ infant care, sewing, laundry, cooking, the treatment 

 of incipient rickets, &c., &c. Infant consultations, for 

 which generally a trained nurse is provided and often 

 a doctor ; periodical weighing of infants. Thrift and 

 clothing clubs, restaurants for mothers, milk depots, 

 home visiting. Training of workers, men's meetings, 

 girls' clubs, free vaccination, rent collecting, and many 

 other duties. 



Of these- 



17 are entirely municipal schools. 

 3 1 are partly municipal and partly voluntary 

 schools, the voluntary element predom- 

 inating. 



131 are entirely voluntary schools. 

 12 are entirely voluntary babies' clubs in 

 Ireland, branches of the Women's 

 National Health Association of Ireland. 

 There are also a few unregistered where 

 nurses' associations have days for 

 weighing babies, &c. 



They may be divided into three classes : 



(A) Voluntary societies which do their own 



work and by whom no salaries are paid. 



(B) Voluntary societies which pay for the 



work of experts. 



(C) Voluntary workers under the direction 



of public authorities. 



