DR. J. W. BALLANTYNE'S PAPER 353 



that ward and get relief from suffering and the cure 

 of their illness. I could tell of women there treated 

 in whom in four or five previous pregnancies there 

 had been premature births of dead infants to be 

 chronicled, and in whom there was now the record 

 of the birth of a healthy living infant at the full time. 



In the fifth place, whilst fully acknowledging the 

 great good which has rome from the maternity 

 benefit under the National Insurance Act (and the 

 good will become more apparent and the incon- 

 veniences less marked as time goes on), I would point 

 out that help, financial or otherwise, is often as sorely 

 needed before as after the birth of the child. Indeed, 

 rest before labour is, in my opinion, sometimes more 

 essential than it is after it ; and it has been proved 

 that from the standpoint of ante-natal development 

 and growth the release of the mother from the 

 necessity of working for her daily bread just before 

 her confinement greatly aids the unborn infant as well 

 as the mother herself. It is a matter worthy of con- 

 sideration whether, under the Insurance Act and 

 utilizing the machinery of that measure, it would not 

 be possible to lead expectant mothers to give notice 

 of their pregnancies at early dates. This would give 

 us a sort of voluntary registration of pregnancies, and 

 consequently an indication of the number of them that 

 come to nothing. Perhaps women would be led to 

 do this if a more substantial maternity benefit were 

 given to those mothers who made the announcement ; 

 with the establishment of large pregnancy departments 

 in existing maternity hospitals it would be possible 

 also to give to these women rest and treatment before 

 their confinements. 



Finally, there are other ways in which the state 

 of ante-natal health may be better cared for. There 

 is, for instance, what may be called the hygiene of 

 the honeymoon, including the realization of the possi- 

 bility that the close of this period, when, according to 



