384 MEDICAL SECTION 



was to force the city to take on ante-natal work as part 

 of the duty of an infant welfare station, because they 

 thought that it properly belonged to it. The question of 

 finance had been brought up and, of course, was a difficulty 

 in every country and in almost every city. But -the expense 

 of the work they were doing was very small. It only 

 meant the salary of the nurse and her travelling expenses 

 about the city. The result of their efforts was to relieve 

 hospital and other work and it was already compelling the 

 existing organizations to come forward and play their parts. 

 He was asked to state whether he considered every abortion 

 or miscarriage was a misfortune. He thought that every 

 abortion and miscarriage was a misfortune, because he 

 thought it was the condition which caused the miscarriage 

 which was the misfortune. He did not think it was neces- 

 sary for him to go into the subject of exercise and work 

 again; except to say that they did not have any difficulty 

 with the class of women they worked with in seeing they 

 did not over-eat, and also there was no difficulty with regard 

 to their over-resting themselves. 



Mrs. FOWLES said that in relation to the co-ordinating 

 of different societies in Birmingham the Chanty Organiza- 

 tion Society issued every few years a list of relief societies. 

 When they began their work they realized that they were 

 an educative association a school for mothers and not a 

 relief society but as they wished to help the mothers to 

 help themselves they co-ordinated with the other societies 

 either by representation on their committee, or by having 

 at any rate friendly relations with them all. That seemed 

 to her very much the better way, especially in view of the 

 great poverty of most of their associations and societies. 

 It was even difficult to obtain the money for the rent of 

 the premises and the salaries of one or two trained helpers. 

 In that case, to be able to apply to different societies, who 

 were as keen about their part of the work as they were 

 about theirs, was very helpful. As to the point raised about 

 thrift clubs and the getting hold of expectant mothers she 

 might say that for the first three months of the year she 

 found their thrift club fell off considerably in numbers. 

 When she suggested saving, she was told over and over 

 again by the women that they had got the 305. By the fourth 

 month in the year she found that many of the mothers were 

 beginning to realize that 305. was not a fortune and by June 

 a great many were seeing that an extra few shillings would 

 be a great help in the home; so that in July she got back 

 to the maximum amount which she had formerly received 

 in the thrift club. The people were finding out that 305. 



