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type as the Bushy boy are treated annually, each girl staying at the school six weeks.
More provision of the kind is needed, and it is hoped shortly to increase the accommodation
at Barham House, St. Leonards, as well as to utilise a new institution
near Bournemouth for girls.
This school at St. Leonards receives camp school parties selected on medical
grounds, from the crowded district of Hoxton. Dr. Lewis, the divisional medical
officer in North-east London, writes: "There is no doubt that the camp school
has been and is of great benefit to the locality (Hoxton)."
Note must be taken finally of the School Journey Association. Primarily for
educational purposes, classes of children are taken for periods averaging a fortnight
by the teachers to the country during school term. Incidentally, the children
obtain benefit to their health by these journeys. The aid of the school medical
staff is freely given in connection with these journeys, and the freedom from attacks
of infectious disease, and from conveyance of contagious conditions generally
experienced, is due to the careful examination and preparation of the children.
During 1923 it was found possible to deal with the majority of applications,
for the medical examination of children immediately before setting out. 187 parties
were inspected before departure. It was necessary to exclude on medical grounds
many children proposed to be included. These comprised a few children who were
contacts with cases of infectious disease, those suffering fron tonsilitis and contagious
conditions, a few cases of otorrhcea, and a few who were in such an unsatisfactory
state of health that the teachers could not be advised to take the responsibility of
their inclusion. Several children suffering from pediculosis and other parasitic
conditions were dealt with at the Council's centres, and thus made fit for
inclusion.
Some apprehension was felt owing to the prevalence of infectious diseases,
notably scarlet fever and diphtheria, lest some of the journeys should be spoilt by
serious cases of this kind. Owing, however, to the care taken in the selection less
trouble in this respect was experienced than in any former year.
Some accidents and cases of illness occurred, but these were unavoidable. One
child from Walnut Tree Walk school fell ill with an acute attack of appendicitis, for
which an operation wa? necessary; one child from Holland-street broke an arm;
and a boy from the Michael Faraday school contracted an acute attack of rheumatism
after exposure to wet conditions.
Sixty-one parties were re-inspected by the school doctors at or soon after return.
All the doctors remark upon the great improvement shown generally in health as
a result of the journeys, especially as evinced by the disappearance of anaemia and
restoration of the tone of the heart muscle. As examples the following may be
cited:—
Dr. Cresswell Burrows says that 43 girls from Wapping were presented
to him before going to Barham House, St. Leonards. Three were found tobe
unfit on account of contagious conditions. Of the 40 who travelled,
28 showed some anaemia, 6 under-nutrition, and 9 disorderly action of the
heart with defective muscle tone. 39 girls were seen on return, all the conditions
of anaemia were cured except in one case, general improvement was noted
in each case of malnutrition, five of the nine cases of functional heart trouble were
cured, while others showed improvement; one case in particular with cardiac
murmurs before the journey was found completely cleared up on return. "There
is no doubt as to the great benefit each girl derived from the month's stay by the
sea."
Dr. Nairn Dobbie reports on seeing a party of boys at Lawn-lane school after
their return. "The difference seen in these sun-browned and bright boys from the.
pale rather tired and listless lads of three weeks ago is a great argument for the good
done by the school journeys, more especial' y amongst children culled from a poor
neighbourhood."
Barham
house.
School
Journeys.