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112
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1914.

Of the 56 children (33 boys, 23 girls) who attended the school during the whole year, 5 (1 boy and
4 girls) gained over 5 kilos in weight; 9 (4 boys and 5 girls) over 4 kilos; 11 (7 boys and 4 girls)
over 3 kilos; 26 (16 boys and 10 girls) over 2 kilos ; 4 boys over 1 kilo ; and 1 boy less than 1 kilo.
Since the school opened, 230 children have been admitted. Of these, 29 were permitted to
leave for suitable work ; 15 returned to elementary schools ; 1 to a secondary school; 12 entered
convalescent homes or went to live permanently in the country ; 23 left the district; 36 were
excluded on medical grounds ; and 1 died.
The results of the year's work are distinctly encouraging ; there is a marked improvement, both
physically and mentally, in all the children, with perhaps a few exceptions who were more suitable for
other institutions and were referred thereto. The joiner's class has been successful, and also the swimming
class, which was held out of school hours, the children attending being selected by the medical officer.
Special attention has been given to breathing and physical exercises. The dispensary authorities have
provided free dinners and other assistance in cases of extreme poverty.
Open-Air Schools.
The two open-air schools maintained by the Council have been fully described in previous reports.
Both have been continued throughout the winter months.
The excellent results of previous years have been fully maintained. The increasing efficiency
of the organisation for the care of children suffering from tuberculous conditions is beginning to make
itself felt very distinctly. Children are now returning from sanatorium treatment who require education
for a period under open-air conditions in order to maintain the improvement which has been effected
in their physical condition. Other children referred to tuberculosis dispensaries are found not to be
suffering from open phthisis,but are considered to be in such a condition as to require day open-air school
treatment and are referred to the medical department of the Council for this purpose. Numerous applications
are also received from voluntary agencies. Thus need is being experienced for further accommodation
in day open-air schools in all quarters of London, and particularly in the districts north of
the Thames.
Birley
House.
The Birley House and Shooter's Hill schools were respectively under the medical supervision
of Dr. F. T. H. Wood and Dr. O H. Peters, from whose reports the following particulars have been taken.
The work at Birley House has been continued on the same lines as in previous years, and with
similar good results. In March, 1914, all the children were re-examined, and 48 were returned to their
old schools, while 38 were kept for the new school year commencing March 30th, when they were joined by
60 others selected by the medical officer of the school from a long list of suitable children submitted by the
school doctors from their routine and special examinations of the previous few months. The conditions
presented by the children in the school in April may be classified as follows, some children being included
in more than one class:—
Anaemia 30
Malnutrition and general poor physique 21
History or signs indicative of phthisis 15
Phthisis 6
Tubercular glands 5
Recent surgical tuberculosis 3
Lupus 2
Fibroid lung 2
Enlargement of glands (non-tubercular) 5
Other conditions 7
The children were regularly re-examined, and at various times during the year 8 were returned
as fit for the elementary schools, 6 were invalided, 5 were excluded by the managing committee as not
taking full advantage of the benefits of the school, and 3 left at the age of 14 ; their places were filled
by others selected as before, and the period ended with 88 scholars on the roll. The usual tabular statements
have been prepared from the observations made during the year, and are now submitted as affording
some indication of the improved health and vigour of the scholars.