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

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Bethnal Green 1929

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]

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47
enabling light treatment to be given as a prophylactic
measure for expectant and nursing mothers and children
as well as the children treated in connection with
Dr. Mackay's clinic. Treatment is also given to
children from the Bethnal Green Day Nursery, Somerford
Street. I append some extracts from the report
of Dr. D. I. Mart, who conducts the Prophylactic
Light Clinic: —
I have to report that the year's work at the Prophylactic
" Sunlight" Clinic has been very encouraging.
As seen by the undermentioned figures, our treatment
and numbers nave not only kept up, but; are steadily increasing.
The general .testimony of the mothers seems to be
that the Ultra Violet Treatment is valuable to their children.
As requested, I have made the following analysis of
last year's figures for Ultra Violet Treatment.
There were certain difficulties in getting an accurate
table :—
1. Many of the (most suitable cases fail to attend regularly.
2. The Ministry of Health granted the Clinic for prophylatic
cases, and we are not supposed to be treating
sick children—hence the covering word "Debility"
figures very largely in the Table.
3. We cannot check our results—thus we cannot X-Ray
the bones of our Rickets Cases to see if they are
really cured. Also we depend very largely on the
patients' statements as to whether the child is improving
or not.
As a basis for my figures, I have taken cases discharged
in 1929, who have had at least seven treatments, and the
Day Nursery Children. The total number of Cases were
157. The Table is as follows:—