THE CANNING TOWN HEALTH VISITING SOCIETY. [To THE EDITOR Or
THE " SPECTATOR.'1 SIR,—The Canning Town Health Visiting Society is a new venture started to aid the Public Health Committee of West Ham in its unremitting warfare on disease and death. At present it is able to deal with only a small part of the borough area, but it hopes to extend its work by degrees till in every back street every baby is looked after and every victim of consumption is visited. In 1906 the infant mortality was a hundred and seventy per thousand in the area dealt with. The phthisis rate is not available, but the disease is sadly prevalent, as is only natural where insufficient earnings, bad housing, and neglect of hygiene are so common. In similar areas much has been done to improve the health of the people by tactful and sympathetic visitors, and it is such visitors that are required here. Very few can, however, be provided within the area, and very many are urgently wanted. I should add that no relief is given by the Society.
West Ham is but a name to many, but it is a living reality to us who know and love it. It has few joys and many sorrows,— Quivi sospiri pianti exl alti guai. On this side of the Lea Rachel is ever weeping for her children and will not be comforted :--
" Continuo auditae voces, vagitns et ingens,
Infantumqne animae flentes, in limine primo . . . dnkis vitaeexsortes."
Will not some of the delicately nurtured women who read this take pity on us and come and help ? The Tuberculosis Exhibition is coming to Canning Town next month, and the more people we can get to help us in explaining its meaning and value the better. Those willing to visit regularly one or more days a week are requested to write to our honorary secretary, Miss Millicent Procter, at 87 Barking goad, Canning Town, E.—I am, Sir, &c.,
W. G. Kumar.
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