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101
of the children come from poor and overcrowded homes none of them suffered.
The average gain in weight of the children was twice that of children of the same age
distribution in the ordinary schools, and the gain is greater in the winter than in the
summer. In spite of inadequate clothing in many cases, not a single child suffered
from chilblains.
The utilisation of natural sunlight as a healing agency is making headway m the
open-air schools. In the following report Dr. W. J. M. Slowan recounts the experience
gained in 1926 of this method of treatment at Stowey House open-air school:—
Sun Classes at Stowey House open-air school.—The sun-treatment this year
shows a further extension, inasmuch as in addition to two classes of boys there was
for the first time on record a class of girls enjoying the benefits of this latest development
in the regime of the open-air school. Through the foresight and enthusiasm of the
headmaster a special part of the garden had been cleared and prepared during the
winter months, and here, secluded by natural and artificial contrivances, the girls of
the sun-class enjoyed an eagerly desired and much envied segregation. No ill results
attended the experiment, hazardous as it seemed to the anxious mother who, hoping
there would be no fatal cases, reluctantly consented to her daughter joining the class.
Girl's class.—The class consisted of 42 girls aged from 9 to 12 years. Of these,
23 browned normally, 2 excessively, 12 slightly, and 5 not at all. Of these five
three cases of malnutrition were very often absent occasionally for long periods, a
fourth also suffering from malnutrition, was a freckler, and the fifth a very weakly
child suffering from malnutrition, anaemia and enlarged glands. None of these five
improved. Seven other girls, suffering from malnutrition and enlarged glands, showed
little or no improvement in relation to the condition of defect. The remaining thirty
girls all showed considerable improvement in physical condition ; anaemia, as is usual,
disappeared, and in quite a number of cases enlarged glands diminished in size. Of
the two lung cases, one with indefinite signs showed great improvement, the other—
fibrosis—was a non-browner and frequently absent and showed no improvement at
the end of the class. The average gain in weight was kg. 1.7, maximum kg. 3.5
minimum kg. 0.3; average gain in height was cm. 2.3, maximum cm. 4.0, minimum
cm. 1.
Senior boys' class.—This consisted of 39 boys, aged 12½—14 years. Of these,
15 browned normally, 9 excessively, 11 slightly, and 4 not at all. Of these four,
three were cases of malnutrition and showed no improvement, two of them gaining
only kg. 0.1 in weight. The fourth was interesting as proving an exception to the
rule about freckles not benefiting by sun-treatment. He was a case of enlarged
glands and proved to be a freckler; he did not brown in the slightest degree and
he made the greatest gain in weight in the class, kg. 6, and improved greatly in general
condition. Five others—four enlarged glands and one malnutrition—showed little
or no improvement, one of them gaining only kg. 0.6, although he was one of the nine
who browned excessively. The amount of browning apparently does not always
indicate the amount of improvement in physical condition.
The remaining 30 boys all improved, all anaemias disappeared—as in the girls'
class—and in many cases enlarged glands diminished in size. One case of fibrosis
of lung improved both in general health and as regards the lung condition. The
average gain in weight was kg. 2, maximum kg. 6, minimum kg. 0.1; the average
gain in height was cm. 3, maximum cm. 5, minimum cm. 1.
Junior boys' class.—This consisted of 35 boys aged 8.12 years. Of these 10
browned normally, 9 excessively, 14 slightly, and 2 not at all. Of these two, one
suffering from malnutrition showed no improvement. The other, a case of enlarged
glands, proved to be a freckler, and, in contradistinction to the boy in the senior class,
gained only kg. 0.6 instead of kg. 6.0 in weight. In spite of this, however, his general
condition was good at the end of the treatment, and his enlarged glands had disappeared.
Four others showed no improvement, (1) fibrosis and malnutrition, (2)
Sun classes
at Stowey
House
open-air
school.