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156
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
Owing to the lack of hospitals and dispensaries in the Hackney and Shoreditch areas it was not
considered that the experiment in this district was a fair test of the scheme, and the Council decided,
as a further experiment for six months, to enter into arrangements during 1911 with the Paddington
and Marylebone Nursing Association to treat children suffering from suppurating ears; the Paddington
Green Children's Hospital and the St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, are both situated in the district
served by this association, and with several good dispensaries there should be little difficulty in obtaining
medical prescriptions.
Ringworm.
Ringworm still continues to be a source of trouble in the schools, and there appears to be
but slight diminution in the incidence of the disease in spite of the arrangements made in regard to
treatment by means of X-Rays. It is estimated that only about one-fifth of the cases are treated
by X-Rays, and until this form of treatment is generally adopted it is unlikely that there will be any
material diminution in the prevalence of the disease. Ringworm is usually a very chronic
complaint if not drastically dealt with in the early stages and is responsible for considerable losses
in school attendance. Proper treatment should therefore be carried out both in the interests of
economy and the benefit of the children. Any expenditure of public money in this connection would
be to a large extent repaid by additional receipts in government grants through increased school
attendance. Frequently where medical certificates are furnished stating that children who have been
excluded from school owing to ringworm are not suffering from the disease, microscopical examination
of the hair stumps has revealed the presence of ringworm fungus, and it is somewhat difficult to
reconcile in the minds of parents the action of the Council in excluding the children from school and
the testimony of their own medical attendant that there is no necessity for exclusion. Microscopical
examination, however, is the only sure test for diagnosis in doubtful cases and a strong stand has
to be taken in such cases in spite of protest from the parents.

Special Schools.
The differentiation of children from the ordinary elementary school class is leading to more
specialised types of schools. The school at Kensal House for tuberculous children is, however, the only
new type actually organised in the past year. New regulations and the maintenance of the card record
now established in the schools for mentally defective children, as well as the physically defective
already done, have thrown a considerable amount of additional work on the staff.

Schools for
Physically
Defective
Children.
The school buildings are good, but often are provided with insufficient ground space. It
probably would now be an advantage if the lessons of the open air schools could be applied
to them. Mr. Elmslie has put forward the suggestion that there should be an increase in
playground space. There was, from the first, a tendency to stint them in this respect under
the impression that physically defective children are not very active, and do not therefore
need much room for play, but probably the invalid child requires if anything more space
and air than the normal child. Some of the tiny playgrounds at present existing are so close and stuffy
in hot weather as to be of little use. Easy access to the playground, by wide French windows opening
directly from hall or classroom and without steps (steps should not exist in these schools) would aid
the formation of open air classes. The furniture should be adapted to the same end by using deck
chairs and the light couches at present provided. Some shaded areas in the playground either in the
form of a verandah, or light transportable canvas shade would also be useful. With provision of this
kind the school hours could be lengthened with much advantage and a midday rest introduced after
lunch. Longer hours are necessary educationally if good work is to be obtained from the children.
At present many do little in the afternoons but after a midday rest might be expected to work well.
Longer hours would also keep the children out of their homes the greater part of the day, and this
would probably be a considerable advantage. Some of the children get home soon after 3.30 p.m., and
are often set to work, which is quite harmful to them. With a rest between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. the
children need not leave school before 4.30 p.m.
(a) Some of the hard of hearing cases and myopes in these figures are also included under elementary schools
and invalids. The total number of children examined was 8,233.