258 A Short History of Nursing vices, culminating in 1898 in the formation of the London School Nurses* Society. In 1904 such work received official recognition by the action of the London County Council in appointing a staff of public school nurses under a superintending Sister. At that time there was a woman member of the County Council — Miss Honnor Morten — who had had a year in the London hospital. Through her influence the Council took its action. Among special lines of work, midwifery has been prominent in English nursing, and has been spoken of under its own beading. The development of public health nursing under the powers of the state has long been urged by the Public health leaders in English nursing, and with nursing ^^j^g gj^^j Qf i^j^g ^^j. ^j^jg came in sight on a grand scale, for Parliament in the season of 1918-19 created a Ministry of Health for England, Scotland, and Wales. The functions then being exercised by such bodies as the Public School Nurs- ing, Infant Welfare and Pre-natal Care of Mothers societies, and many others were to go over under the new Ministry. The state will thus become the future head of an army of nurses. Under the act, consultative bodies of men and women will be formed to advise and assist in making the act a vital force in health conservation.
