View report page

109
ROYAL COLLEGE OF ST. KATHARINE, POPLAR.
Report of the Medical Officer.
March, 1927.
Dr. A. G. Hamilton, who has had charge of the Light Clinic since it
started in April, 1925, has recently summarised his impressions of the
first year's work.* At the outset he emphasises the difficulty in assessing
the exact, value of this form of therapeutics, for with the exception of
Rickets controlled by serial X-ray photographs, there is no easy standard
means of measuring or recording effects. Allowance must be made for
"the enthusiasm engendered by a new and appealing form of treatment"
and "the natural tendency to recovery in early life must not be forgotten.''
His report deals in detail with 116 children, between the ages of
three months and five years of age, and four mothers. They are divided
into eight groups:—
1. Pre-rachitic and bottle-fed (prophylaxis) 17 case*
2. Rachitic 54 ,,
3. Catarrhal 11 ,,
4. Under-developed; malnutrition; debility 20 ,,
5. Marasmus 4 ,,
6. Skin diseases 8 ,,
7. Miscellaneous 2 ,,
8. Mothers 4 ,,
This is an arbitrary grouping, but it will be seen at once that it
includes the majority of the common and important ailments affecting
children dealt with by Welfare organisations.
It is pointed out that the accurate diagnosis of early Rickets without
X-Rays is a task of some difficulty, and Dr. Hamilton states the combination
of pallor, head-sweating, muscular weakness, and enlargement
of the abdomen, forms a syndrome which should always arouse suspicion.
If in addition there can be noted one of the stigmata (frontal-bossing,
beading of the ribs, joint laxity, etc.) then the disease must be taken as
definitely established.
5 much improved.
Tn the Pre-rachitic group he gives 11 improved.
1 no change.
*"Light Treatment at an Infant Welfare Centre." A. G. Hamilton, M.D.,
M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.S. Edin. Public Health. Feb. 1927.