London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Bermondsey 1937

Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1937

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previous years the other forms of treatment were not available.
"There are two points to which the special attention of the
Committee ought to be drawn:—
(1) In the case of Massage, Medical Electricity and Diathermy
and to a more limited extent also in the case of Medical
Exercises, members of the Committee should understand
that the treatment given is individual. That is to say
that a patient receiving any one of these forms of treatment
requires the whole attention of a nurse or of a doctor during
the whole time of the treatment, usually about twenty
minutes. This, of course, has to be compared with Radiant
Heat or Ultra Violet Light treatment in which the treatment
can often be administered to a group of patients
simultaneously, and in which such a group—except children
can safely be left from time to time by the nurse,
and consequently does not require her full attention.
(2) The second point to which I wish specially to draw attention
is that almost all the diseases for which treatment is given
in the Solarium are chronic diseases. Such diseases require
prolonged treatment and consequently most Solarium
patients are in attendance two or three times a week for
several weeks. The average duration of treatment is about
twelve weeks.
"In order to make the very best use of the excellent equipment
which has been provided by the Council, and in order to
prevent congestion, certain rules have been formulated for the
working of the Solarium.
"The rule of the Council is that only persons living in the
borough may receive treatment at the Solarium, and the very
rare exceptions to this rule have been reported to the Committee.
Every patient attending is required to be recommended by a
doctor, usually his or her own doctor, occasionally a doctor from
a neighbouring institution, a school doctor or one of our own
Medical Officers. All patients are seen by one of our own doctors
in the Solarium at their first visit, and they are then examined at
intervals during the course of treatment, notes being made on