ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns Sir George Newman's background and experiences, as well as the reception Infant Mortality received. Infant Mortality dealt with the influence of the mother and the home. The international comparison focused on the cases of Scotland, Norway and Sweden, which were said to have low infant mortality, and France and Austria, where infant mortality was higher. The registration of midwives, the regulation of infant nursing and adoption, and the limitation of cruelty to children all offered important measures which could, in combination, lead to an 'immense improvement' in infant mortality. Despite its limitations, Infant Mortality offered some very important insights on the health problems of Edwardian Britain. Newman marked the shift in emphasis away from public health, especially the sanitation and water works variety, towards the health and responsibility of the individual and this for a local Medical Officer represented a significant re-orientation in thinking.
