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It has not been found necessary to return any child to elementary school as
physically unfit for the open-air schools' curriculum, but one boy, it is anticipated,
will be transferred to M.D. school.
The number of minor ailments treated at the school during the year is 686.
Personal hygiene.—Out of 5,636 examinations, only 58 cases were found to
have nits. These occurred mostly after the holiday period.
It will be seen from these remarks that in spite of the unpromising locality the
school is a great benefit to the children of East London.
Residential
open-air,
schools.
The institutions available for London children who require a stay in the country
for a short time on health grounds in a convalescent school number four. They
remain open throughout the year.
Boys are sent to the King's Canadian Camp School, Bushy Park (where there
is accommodation for 300 boys) for a month's stay. Provision is made for extension
of stay in exceptional cases.
For girls there are three smaller schools—viz., Wanstead House at Margate,
Barham House at St. Leonards-on-Sea, and the Russell-Cotes Home at Parkstone.
The girls remain for 6 weeks, with the exception that at Barham House the normal
stay is four weeks.
King's
Canadian
Camp
School.
At the King's Canadian School 3,325 boys passed the roll during the year. A
feature of the school is the arrangement for special attention to defects. A wellequipped
dental centre presented by the Canadian Government affords an opportunity
of putting the mouths of all the boys in a complete state of health during their stay.
Special remedial exercises are practised and the boys instructed during their
stay to persevere with the exercises after their return home. 1,501 boys were given
special exercises, these including cases of kyphosis 246, scoliosis 54, lordosis 52,
flat fleet 237, mouth breathers 76, deformed chest 26, wryneck 3, old infantile
paralysis 6, postural defects 672, round shoulders 123, massage after fractures 6.
Dr. Sidney Lee reports: I am glad to say there has been very little sickness
among the children at this school during the past year, and I speak with great
satisfaction of the general improvement in health and physique of the boys, considering
the short term of their stay—a month to six weeks. It is particularly
noticeable in the case of children coming from crowded districts.
Every opportunity is utilised for healthy exercise on scientific lines, care
being given to those requiring such special medical treatment as massage and
remedial exercises. Other defects, such as children are liable to (sores, slight injuries
and minor ailments) are treated immediately. The special treatment of unhealthy
gums and other dental defects contributes largely towards the general health.
On the whole I think they are a happy contented crowd of children, but it is
unfortunate that there can be so few "extensions," and that in particularly suitable
cases only a fortnight longer is granted. The average gain in weight is 3 lbs., and
height half an inch per child, with a distinctly better tone all round.
I should like to advocate a stay of twelve consecutive weeks in the case of
particularly needy children, especially when they are of school-leaving age, and no
other such opportunity can be given them.
Wanstead
House.
Wanstead House, Residential School, Margate.—Dr. McCombe, the Medical
Officer of Health of Margate, reports that this school has well maintained its usual
excellent bill of health throughout the year ended December 31st, 1025.
Out of 535 children admitted in the year the following is a list of the cases which
received medical treatment.