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Orthopaedic
treatment.
The provision for orthopaedic treatment in London is extensive and adequate.
As local education authority, the Council has established 32 day schools for the
physically defective with accommodation for 3,537 children. These schools are
regularly visited by an orthopaedic surgeon and the care and education of cripples are
maintained at these schools until they reach the age of 16, and a scheme of aftercare
of all children subsequent to their leaving has long been in existence.
There are 10 visiting orthopaedic surgeons, employed by the Council in connection
with the Council's general hospitals, and there are 3 special children's hospitals
maintained by the Council to which children suffering from orthopaedic defects are
admitted; these include Queen Mary's hospital, Carshalton, at which there are
1,284 beds and where special facilities are provided for the treatment of orthopaedic
cases. There is no difficulty in finding accommodation immediately for all
orthopaedic cases. These special hospitals are now recognised as hospital schools.
There are 19 residential special schools for physically defective children, other
than those above, maintained by voluntary bodies with which the Council, as local
education authority, has agreements, and 70 children, for whom the Council is
responsible, are at present in residence at 12 of these institutions.
London is a great centre for medical education and there are many voluntary
hospitals, which maintain orthopaedic departments, engaged in the teaching of
medical students. These are all eager to undertake the orthopaedic care of children.
There are also special voluntary orthopaedic hospitals at which orthopaedic surgeons
of the highest repute hold appointments. At some of these hospitals Council's
organisers of children's care work attend in the orthopaedic departments as liaison
officers.
The three main causes of crippling in London are tuberculosis, infantile paralysis
and congenital malformation. The first two conditions are notifiable, and schemes
are in operation on the general public health side of the Council's activities for dealing
with cases under both these headings. A special unit for the treatment of congenital
malformation has been established at Queen Mary's hospital, Carshalton.
The principal causes of crippling operate before school life begins, at which
period of their lives the children in London are under the care of the public health
departments of the Borough Councils, for whose cases the Council provides institutional
treatment whenever required.
Stammering children.
At the ten centres for the treatment of stammerers from elementary schools a
total of 432 children attended during the year ; of these, 124 were discharged as
cured, while 55, many of whom had greatly improved, left for various reasons.
The arrangements are on the following lines (i) each child attends twice
weekly for periods of 50 minutes each ; (ii) each group of children is limited to 9; and
(iii) 3 groups are dealt with by the same speech therapist on each half day.