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children treated 1874 as against 1,661 in 1925. The number of children under
treatment on 31st December, 1926, was 880, distributed as follows :—
Metropolitan Asylums Board Institutions 678
Voluntary Institutions 202
The condition of the children under 15 years of age who were discharged from
residential institutions in 1926 is indicated in the following table (children of 15
years of age are included with adults owing to requirements of the Ministry
of Health):—
Classification.
Immediate results of Surgical. Totals.
treatment. A. B1. B2. B3.
Quiescent 83 1 2 - 245 331
Much improved 62 2 14 2 260 340
No material improvement 25 - 3 27 40 95
Died in institution 3 - - 14 20 37
173 3 19 43 565 803
Since 1916 tuberculous children who could be satisfactorily treated in
"convalescent" institutions have been sent away through the Invalid Children's
Aid Association with the financial assistance of the Council in the form of grants
representing roughly 75 per cent. of the net cost to the Invalid Children's Aid
Association. These grants have been paid out of a special fund known as the
"Tuberculosis Contributions Fund" into which contributions made to the Council
by parents towards the cost of sanatorium treatment of their children were paid.
This arrangement had to be terminated in consequence of a decision of the
Treasury, conveyed to the Council by the Ministry of Health, on 10th February, 1926,
that as from 1st April, 1925, parents' contributions in respect of sanatorium treatment
were to be paid into the County Fund in relief of the cost to the Council of
such treatment. The agreement with the Invalid Children's Aid Association for
dealing with convalescent cases was formally terminated at 31st July, 1926, but
the Association completed treatment for the children who had been sent away before
that date and who were not then fit to return home. During the transition period
between 1st April, 1925, and 31st October, 1926, the grant to the Invalid Children's
Aid Association for " convalescent " cases was met from the County Fund.
It has been arranged that the balance of the Tuberculosis Contributions Fund
remaining at 31st March, 1925, amounting to some £18,000, shall be used for
ancillary purposes connected with the treatment of tuberculosis which are not
provided for in the scheme of the Council. These include such items as the supply
and repair of surgical appliances required for tuberculous children who are receiving
out-patient treatment, clothing required to enable children to go away to sanatoria
or to return home, and the boarding-out of children living in overcrowded conditions
with persons suffering from advanced tuberculosis. This work continues to be
undertaken by the Invalid Children's Aid Association.
In addition to the foregoing arrangements for residential treatment of tuberculous
children the Council has established five open-air day schools for children
suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis or from tuberculous glands with no open
wounds who do not appear to require treatment in residential institutions. Two
additional schools will be provided in 1927. The work of these schools is dealt
with in the section of this report dealing with the school medical service.
Poliomyelitis.
By an arrangement with the Metropolitan Asylums Board 50 beds are available
at Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, for the treatment of cases entering upon
the second stage of the disease (deemed for this purpose to be three months after
onset) and also of those requiring correctional operations from resulting deformities.