Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
The annual report made to the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich for the year 1927
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The following conditions were treated during the year 1927:—
Rickets and prevention of Rickets | 158 |
Underweight | 69 |
Debility and Anæmia | 37 |
Bronchial and Catarrhal | 29 |
Cervical Glands | 8 |
Premature babies. Marasmus babies | 8 |
Convalescent from infectious diseases | 5 |
Other cases | 4 |
Ante-natal and Nursing Mothers | 17 |
335 |
Total number of treatments given during the year 8,427
Procedure and duration of treatments remain the same,
except that one of the Medical Officers prefers "interrupted
treatment." i.e., that her patients should receive say 12 exposures,
then stop for a month and resume again. The results are
practically identical with the ordinary procedure.
General improvements are shown in appetite, increasing
weight, and .especially vitality of children is improved. Amongst
the older children, the teacher often sends reports saying how
the child's mentality has improved since undergoing treatment.
During winter months an increased number of bronchial
and catarrhal conditions were treated with satisfactory results.
The children keep free from colds and coughs for much longer
periods than before, and when attacked, recover more quickly
and the attacks are less severe.
The majority of cases are sent for prevention of rickets,
being between the ages of 6 to 12 months.
An increased number of cases of nursing mothers with
insufficiency of milk, were treated. These cases showed much
improvement in the amount of milk and general condition of
the mothers, and steady increase in the weight of their babies.
As mentioned last year, one of the two lamps is now
being used with tungsten cored-carbons, being stronger in ultraviolet
rays than the white-flame carbons originally used. The
length of exposure is thus shortened, allowing more patients to
be treated. All patients commence treatment on the white-flame
carbon lamp, and after about ten treatments are changed to the
cored-carbon lamp.