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Nearly all the cases have massage and exercises as well as light treatment, and it is
striking how the very young children can be induced, with patience and careful handling, to
do the necessary exercises satisfactorily. The association of massage and exercises with the
ultra-violet ray exposures is a definite improvement, and more rapid progress is observed.
The parents see the children at their exercises, and in some cases they are being carried out
at home with benefit. It is now no longer necessary to persuade parents to allow their
children to have artificial sunlight treatment. Indeed, in many cases it is asked for.
An increasing number of children are sent from the Welfare Centres for treatment, and
reports of their progress are sent from time to time to the centres.
During the treatment the children are happy and contented, and of the two great
difficulties, the first—the initial wearing of goggles to protect the eyes—is largely overcome
by tact in application and care to avoid any hurry; the second—the difficulty of some of
the mothers to find time to leave their households—is at present in part surmounted by the
careful arrangement of days and hours to suit them.
It is obvious that the next difficulty will be the need of more time and space to deal
with the increasing number of children who come for treatment.
With the lamp in the Baby Hospital there have been treated 47 in-patients, involving
784 treatments in the year. As a rule these have been the more severe cases of rickets,
general debility and anaemia.
Here also we find the light treatment of great benefit in supplementing the general
treatment of the Hospital.
THE RAYMEDE MASSAGE AND ELECTRICAL TREATMENT CENTRE
No. 240, LADBROKE GROVE.
This Centre was opened in the early part of 1922 for the purpose of giving massage, electrical
and gymnastic treatment to poor children whose parents cannot afford to pay for private treatment,
or are unable, owing to financial and other reasons, to take the children to a hospital.
The days and hours of attendance are : Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m.,
and the treatment is carried out by four ladies, all of whom hold the Certificate of the Chartered
Society of Massage and Medical Gymnastics. There is also a Medical- Officer attached to the Centre
who attends on the first Friday in each month.
A record of the work done in 1926 is shown in the following table :—
No. of cases attending at beginning of year (Over 5 years of age) 23
„ „ „ „ „ (Under 5 years of age) 10
New cases treated during year (Over 5 years of age) 64
„ „ „ (Under 5 years of age) 36
Total cases treated during year 133
No. discharged during year 45
No. transferred to Hospitals for treatment 4
No. of cases attending at end of year (Over 5 years of age) 31
„ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ (Under 5 years of age) 19
No. of treatments given 2632
No. of non-Kensington cases treated 5
No. of self-discharged cases 34
Cases Treated.
Scoliosis 38 Fractures 6
Round Shoulders and Kypholor- Spastic Paraplegia 4
dosis 26 Genu Valgum 4
Rickets 16 Flat Foot 3
Paralysis 11 Asthenia 3
Debility 9 Other Diseases 13
The work carried out is very valuable and there is no doubt that the Raymede Massage Centre
is meeting a serious need in North Kensington. There is no institution in that part of the Borough
where poor persons can obtain this special form of treatment except the Archer Street and
Campden Hill Infant Welfare Centres, where a limited amount of massage is performed. When
the new Princess Louise Kensington Hospital for Children is opened the question will then arise
as to continuing the work at this Centre, but for the present this institution is worthy of support.
KENSINGTON MATERNITY HOME.
The Kensington Maternity Home was opened in 1924 and consists of a detached ward of ten
beds in the southern portion of the grounds of St. Mary Abbot's Hospital. The Home is available
for married women of all classes whose home conditions are not suitable for their confinement and
who cannot afford to pay the fees charged in private nursing homes.