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* Consultations transferred to St. Mary's Terrace, February, 27th, 1931.
The total number of children attending the consultations was 2,468, 1,128 being under
1 year of age and 1,340 between the ages of 1 and 5 years.
Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Clinics.
Harrow Road.
Macroom Road.
(Opened 30th July, 1931)
Number of Sessions 49 22
Number of Attendances 643 125
Number of Expectant or Recently Confined
Mothers who Attended 254 56
Average Attendance per Session 13 6
Number of Cases Referred by Midwives in Private
Practice 39 13
Nutritional and Physio-therapeutic Clinic.—This clinic was established on September 8th, 1931,
at 232, Harrow Road, and is open one morning a week.
During the three months ending December 7th the number of individual cases attending
was 68, divided as regards treatment into the following groups
38 Irradiation
26 Irradiation and massage
4 Dietetic
The total attendances were 356.
The first installation of the Mercury Vapour Lamp was not entirely satisfactory, and the
resistance transformer became overheated owing to a fault in the tungsten terminal of the
burner. In October, however, the makers supplied a new burner, which was more powerful
in its output of actinic rays, and has given complete satisfaction. Dr. R. Cove-Smith, the
medical officer in charge, reported as follows at the end of the first three months:—
" Although the greater number of cases are due to defective diet and rickets, several
very interesting clinical conditions have been discovered and dealt with. In the first
fortnight of the clinic's existence, a child which was walking badly was found to have a
congenital dislocation of the hip that had been overlooked elsewhere. An X-ray examination
was made, and the child has been operated upon with the result that it is now
making an excellent recovery. Two cases of infantile hemiplegia due to birth injury,
have made great strides since irradiation and dietetic treatment were added to their
massage, not only as regards their weights, but the mothers state that their sleep is more
restful. That, I may say, is the general consensus of opinion of the mothers, and the
importance of restful sleep to the growing child cannot be over-emphasized. A case of
purpura with an enlarged spleen is also doing excellently.
There is a great tendency amongst the mothers of Paddington to start cereal feeding
of the infant too soon. Rusks and other cereals are added to the infant's diet in the early
months, in spite of the fact that these contain a toximin that is definitely inhibitory to
vitamin activity. Such actions lead to rickets, and the clinic is having to clear up the
consequences of ignorance. On the whole I think that those responsible for the inauguration
of this clinic can feel that their confidence has been justified, and that even in such a
short period as three months, there has been a positive achievement."
Owing to the small number of cases which have completed treatment so far, it would not
be profitable at this stage, to make any detailed analysis of the results.