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Report of the Medical Officer (Education)
167
noted the general improvement, listlessness giving place to brightness and alertness which were
maintained till the close. Excepting one tuberculous boy, who had to be removed to hospital, each
child showed improvement both in health and measurements, although the enlarged glands generally
remained, but as they were chiefly due to dental irritation nothing had been done from which improvement
in this respect might be expected.
A control comparison between the children in the open-air class and those in the ordinary
Standard III. was intended, but could not be made partly owing to lack of facilities in the schools and
partly to pressure on the doctor's time. The Cator-street children were originally of better physique
than those at Daniel-street and they improved to a much greater extent. The conclusions formed
after last year's experience of playground classes are thus borne out, viz., that such classes are very
suitable for the milder conditions of debility but that for extreme cases the full open-air school
treatment is required with its regime of feeding and provision for rest.
The open-air school is now beyond the experimental stage. In 1907 one was opened at Bostall Open-Air
Woods on the model of establishments already existing at Charlottenburg, Mulhausen and München
Gladbach. Three such schools were carried on in 1908 and 1909. This year only the two schools in
South London were continued owing to difficulty of finding other sites. The Birley House School
was kept open until December 31st.
Shrewsbury House.—123 children were admitted to Shrewsbury House, which is on the top
of Shooter's Hill. The separate conditions noted in these children were:—
Anaemia 79
Malnutrition, general weakness, etc. 68
Chest troubles and deformities, liability to bronchitis (excluding
phthisis) 44
Quiescent phthisis 2
Family history and suspicions of phthisis 4
Doubtful phthisis 2
Well-marked phthisis 1
Throat and nose (adenoids, tonsils, etc.) 20
Discharging ears 3
Enlarged glands (24), tubercular (3) 27
Heart disease 4
Rickets 6
Blepharitis etc. 8
Sundry other troubles 6
A detailed examination of the teeth of each child was conducted, and a list was made showing
the treatment necessary. The teachers were highly successful in making the children keep their
teeth clean, but only one child had a perfect set of teeth.
In 88 cases, extraction of roots was necessary, 51 being urgent, 49 needed stoppings to save permanent
teeth. A local dentist having volunteered, small batches of children were taken by the school
nurse to his surgery, but after treating 59 by extractions and 10 with stoppings he was unable to continue
the work gratuitously. A sum of money was raised and 60 more teeth extracted and 75 stopped at a charge
of 6d. for extraction and 2s. 6d. for stopping. The general health of the children throughout the summer
left nothing to be desired. The child with active phthisis had to be sent away almost as soon as
admitted and rapidly became worse. One boy was discovered in the first few days of the school to
be in the peeling stage of scarlet fever, and was removed and notified. His brother was also temporarily
excluded, but both were readmitted some weeks later and did well. No other cases of any infectious
disease occurred. The other reports are in complete accord with previous years.
Birley House.—95 children were admitted to Birley House in an extremely poor condition.
They maintained their average weekly gain in health and physique uninterruptedly right up to the end
of December. The increase in measurements was a little above double the average for London children.
The children in these schools did not contract colds, and except in one case of a boy who was reported
in February as having subacute rheumatism there was no complaint as to any illness. The Education
Officer endeavoured by enquiry to ascertain the opinion of the teachers as to whether the improvement
in physical condition of the children who had been in these schools in 1908 or 1909 had been maintained.
Replies were obtained regarding about three-quarters of the children, and in at least 95 per cent, of
the cases the teachers had thought permanent benefit was received. The usual statement of parents at
the admission examinations to the open-air schools was to the effect that the child obtained much
benefit during its stay at the school but had fallen away again since leaving. In a few cases children
who passed through the open air schools in a former year have been considered too good for the open
air schools at a succeeding admission examination.
The physical measurements show that generally the same type of children was admitted in 1910
and that satisfactory improvement was attained during the school session; the smaller percentage
weekly increases in height and weight recorded as compared with former years are to be explained by