View report page

41
Looking back over the year, I would generalize by
saying that while ultra-violet light has definitely curative
properties, such as for rickets, chilblains and shingles, its
best benefit to Bethnal Green is in preventing illness. It
has an extraordinary tonic effect, both mental and physical.
The dust in Bethnal Green air fobs the natural sunlight of
its health - giving rays. Our Clinic makes up the loss.
Artificial sunlight is at the present day a fundamental need
of nearly every person in the Borough. As a result of sunlight
starvation, mothers become depressed and debilitated,
and for the same reason our children fail to grow properly,
becoming rickety, and suffer from bronchitis. In these
debilitated states they are an easy prey to every kind of
infectious disease and many other illnesses.
Our' mothers, too, say that ultra-violet has helped to
cure their nervous depression, and lias made them feel
stronger and healthier. Cases of failing breast milk through
general ill-health have so improved that they have maintained
breast feeding throughout the whole nine months
without recourse to any artificial substitute. We have still
much to do in getting more mothers to come for treatment,
and we still have to teach the lesson that to have healthy
children we must first have healthy mothers.
My best thanks are due to the Health Visitors, whose
excellent co-operation has enabled us to overcome the initial
difficulties and trials in organizing the work.
In addition to cases arising directly through the Infant
Consultations, we have lately had cases, referred to us from
the hospitals, i.e., London and Great Ormond Street, from
our own Orthopaedic Clinic and from the local Bethnal
Green doctors.
The new cases for the year 1928 show the following
types of patients to have received marked benefit from
treatment : —
Children : Anaemia ; Malnutrition ; Orthopaedic
Defects from Rickets, Paralysis, etc. ; ill-defined
conditions classified as "Debility" and some
local conditions such as Blepharitis, Enlarged
Cervical Glands.
Women : Both Expectant and Nursing Mothers—for
Debility ; Nervous Manifestations ; Failure of
Breast Milk.