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Residential treatment of rheumatism.
Hospital accommodation.
Four beds are reserved at the Princess Louise hospital for the treatment of rheumatism, and extra beds are
available when required. In addition, cases are admitted for treatment to other hospitals in the borough.
Convalescent homes.
Adequate facilities for convalescence have again been available, the necessary arrangements being made
through the Invalid Children's Aid Association, or under the London county council's rheumatism scheme.
Report on the Social Work of the Centre
by Mrs. G. JACOBSON, Honorary Secretary.
The staff who conduct the social work of the centre consist of a paid part-time worker—Miss H. Caton—
who is in charge, one honorary secretary, three voluntary visitors—Miss Dudley Baxter, Miss Greer and Miss
Reitlinger—and a voluntary helper, Miss Kahn, who renders clerical assistance. These ladies conduct their
work with considerable tact and enthusiasm, and it is in no small measure due to their efforts that the number of
children attending has increased.
The centre has now been in existence for eleven years, and it has been decided to re-visit old cases who have
not been visited since attaining the age of 16 years. It is hoped that from information thus obtained, it will be
possible to form a better opinion of the value of the work of a centre such as this. Patients attaining the ages
of 20 to 25 years have to assume greater responsibilities, and often perform harder work, and the medical officers
feel that it would be interesting to know the condition of the patient in these circumstances.
It is also proposed to establish an evening session at which patients over 16 years of age, who have been
discharged for more than three years, can be invited to attend. The patients attending will be subjected to a
general overhaul, a screening of the heart and an electrocardiagraph. Over 300 old patients have been selected
by the doctors for visiting; some of these reside in neighbouring boroughs. Those residing in Kensington will be
visited by the council's health officers, and those outside the borough by the voluntary workers. If old patients
are in attendance at a hospital, or are being seen by a private doctor, the consent of the medical practitioner in
each case will be obtained before the patient will be permitted to attend the evening session.
It is hoped that at least 100 patients will be persuaded to attend and that by this means valuable information
may be gathered.
PART II.
The Work of the Centre
by JANET K. AITKEN, M.D., M.R.C.P., and D. JANE HEALEY, M.D., M.R.C.P.
In the eleven years, 1927-38, during which the centre has been in existence, 2,580 cases of rheumatism or
cases sent for observation have been supervised. Although the centre was primarily established to deal with
cases from Kensington, it has been the custom to accept cases from other boroughs whenever advice was required.

During the year 1937-38, 49 sessions have been held at the Princess Louise Hospital.
Average attendance per session of Kensington patients 21·70
,, ,, ,, other patients 6·02
27·72