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etc. It has, therefore, been agreed in the case of these ten centres that an extra payment of
£10 a year should be made, provided the necessary facilities are given by the centre committees.
The arrangements which it is proposed to make will enable the following important aims to
be furthered: (1) Increased co-ordination between the inspecting and treating doctors; (2) Readier
and more efficient machinery for dealing with urgent cases, among which should be included those
presenting incipient signs of disease such as may require a prompt diagnosis in order that advice may
be forthwith given as to obtaining appropriate treatment; (3) Readier and more efficient following
up of all cases, including the more extended visiting of homes by the district nurses and the securing
to a greater extent of the interest of the parents.
Medical and Dental Treatment.
During the year the chief variations in the arrangements for the medical and dental treatment
of school children have been the opening of two new dental centres at Holloway and Soho, and the increase
in the provision at certain of the existing centres for the treatment of defects of vision, minor ailments
and teeth. Owing to the difficulties of the present time, six dental and minor ailment centres which
have been sanctioned have not yet been established, but premises have been obtained for two of the
centres, and it is anticipated that these will be ready for opening during the next two months.
It is also hoped that another dental and minor ailments centre, sanctioned early in 1917, will be
established at an early date.
For comparison with the figures given in previous reports, the numbers under the agreements in
force during the year were as follows:—
Eyes—23,272; ear, nose, and throat, 13,700; ringworm, 2,114; minor ailments, 20,289; teeth,
53,515; Total, 112,890.
Eye Dcfects.—The number of cases dealt with under the Council's arrangements was 26,905
as compared with 25,210 during the previous year. The increase has been mainly due to the fact that
the authorities of some of the hospitals, not included in the Council's scheme, are at present unable to
receive school children. Spectacles were prescribed for 20,597 children, and were obtained in 17,389
cases.
Ear, nose, and throat defects. - There is a still further decline in the number of children treated
for ear, nose, and throat defects, although the decrease is less than in 1915. The number of children
treated as new cases was 10,365, being 794 less than in 1915, and 2,596 less than in 1914. There were
6,064 operations performed during 1916.
Ringworm.—1,466 children were referred to the Council's centres for the treatment of ringworm,
this number being 4 lower than the figure for 1915. X-ray treatment was applied in 1,198 cases.
Minor Ailments.—The centres for the nursing treatment of minor ailments have again been
particularly well attended. 22,876 new cases were treated, as against 20,419 in 1915. As showing
the vast amount of work performed in connection with the treatment of minor ailments, it may be
mentioned that during the year the 22,876 new cases, together with the 4,252 cases still under treatment
at the beginning of the year, made 418,339 attendances at the centres. In addition, 38,156 visits were
paid by the nurses to the children's homes, and in 5,299 cases arrangements were made for convalescent
treatment, or other forms of after care.
The following report, which has been received from Dr. G. II. Lock, the doctor engaged in the
treatment of minor ailments at the Notting Dale Centre, gives an illustration of the work carried out
at a minor ailments' centre:—
"Summary for 1916.—New cases, 1,389; Visits to centre, 27,754; Home visits, 1,133; Discharged,
1,240; Still on books, 219.
Skin trouble of some kind was present in 414 children, mostly due to grime. Ingrained dirt
does not seem to cause much irritation until disturbed by misdirected attempts to attain cleanliness.
A common toilet history is this —A small hand basin, a large cake of a popular disinfectant soap and
(incredible as it may appear) successive washings by different persons in the same scanty supply of
water. The result is the drying on the skin of a terrible mixture, which causes itching and its inevitable
corollary, scratching. In these cases, it is impossible to shake the mother's conviction that the child's
"blood is out of order," but nothing except external remedies has been used at the centre, always with
the happiest results. It is surprising what excellent skins these children have when treated with a
little consideration. These "eczemas" should be considered cases of injury to, rather than disease of
the skin. On the other hand, 53 children were suffering from skin disease of undoubted constitutional
origin. If ihe proposal of the L.C.C. to provide a few simple drugs for internal medication in suitable
cases is carried out, the usefulness of the centre will be increased.
A widespread and insidious epidemic of scabies has been responsible for considerable demands
upon the Cleansing Station ; this institution has been most useful, though a little tact has been necessary
at times to overcome a certain amount of prejudice aroused by its candid name.
Eye cases have been fewer than in 1915, numbering 171, and have all done well.
Ears.—221 cases of running ears have been treated, with the following results : 52 have been
discharged, well; 84 have discontinued treatment; 3 have been sent to hospital; 82 remain under
observation or treatment.
Some progress has been made. The standard for discharge has been, "ears healed, hearing good
and nose and throat normal." To attain this standard cases coming to the centre in 1914 required an
average duration of treatment of 7 months, 8 days; during 1915, 6 months, 15 days; duriDg the past