The Cry of the Children: The Edwardian Medical Campaign Against Maternal Drinking

In the Edwardian era, a medical campaign spearheaded by fourteen doctors, who were members of the Society for the Study of Inebriety, linked maternal drinking to infant mortality and national decline. Their evidence contributed to a government report that associated alcohol abuse with racial deterioration. The campaign, supported by publicist George Sims, raised public awareness about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and led to legislative changes, including the prohibition of children under 14 from entering licensed premises and the introduction of hygiene and temperance instruction in schools. The doctors' efforts reflected a broader concern about Britain's physical and imperial decline and were part of a larger medical reassessment of alcohol, which saw a shift away from its use as a treatment in hospitals. Despite the campaign's success in influencing public opinion and policy, the complexity of the issue of maternal drinking persisted, highlighting the intertwined concerns about women's roles and working-class culture during the period.