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55
or haphazard. Dr. C. E. Thornton endeavoured to do this but he was unable to show
any difference in a school where a voluntary milk club existed from one where there
was no such provision.
The milk in the official scheme is supplied under contract and the quality is
kept under control by frequent sampling. The total number of milk meals examined
in the public health department during the year was 1,690. Of these 7.1 per cent.
were found to be under the standard prescribed in the specification and these
were brought to the notice of the supplies department and the purveyors; 194
samples contained an excessive amount of extraneous matter, in most cases of
a nature indicating careless handling. Further measures for ensuring the cleanliness
of the milk supply to the schools are under consideration.
Open-air Education.
Provision for education in the open air includes nine day open-air schools (nontuberculous)
with accommodation for 1,460 children and six day open-air schools
(tuberculous) accommodating 515 children. There are also five country and seaside
convalescent camp schools accommodating 484 children for periods varying from one
to three months, through which 4,600 children pass annually, and 199 open-air
classes in playgrounds and parks providing for upwards of 6,000 children.
Day openair
schools
for non
tuberculous
children.

Open-air
school,
Downham.
Dr. K.
Butterfield.
The provision was extended by the opening of a new day open-air school on the
Council's housing estate at Downham. I am obliged for the following detailed account
of this school to Miss Kathleen Butterfield, the school doctor:—
"A new open-air school on the L.C.C. housing estate at Downham, Kent, was inaugurated
on May 26th, 1930.
"The school has a sunny open position on the slope of a hill. It is situated in a quiet by-road,
the school buildings being more or less in line with the neighbouring houses and comprising
four separate classroom shelters, a combined hall and dining-rootn shelter adjoining, one end of
which is a brick building containing a closed bathroom, heated cloakroom, storeroom for blankets
and kitchen; and at the other end a separate building containing teachers' rooms and a medical
room. The children's lavatories are in a separate shelter well away from the other buildings.
An asphalt playground (3,200 square feet in area) lies between the four classrooms and the
dining hall. On the other side of the classrooms is a meadow extending back to a thicket.
Adjoining the buildings are flower beds cultivated by the children. Unfortunately, the meadow
is unfit for use all through the winter, since it becomes waterlogged, and the ground, owing to
the clay subsoil, is heavy for the children to work during their gardening lessons.
"The daily routine of the school is as follows:—
9.0—9.20 a.m.—Breakfast.
9.30—12.0 noon—Lessons.
12.15—1.0 p.m.—Dinner (12.40—1.20 p.m. in summer).
1.15—2.30 p.m.—Rest time. (1.35—3.15 p.m. in summer.)
"The children lie down in flat canvas hammocks. After this they have breathing exercises.
2.50—4.0 p.m.—Lessons (gardening, handwork, music, literature, etc.). (3.15—5.5
p.m. in summer.)
4.0 p.m.—Tea. (5.15 p.m. in summer.)
4.30 p.m.—Go home. (5.45 p.m. in summer.)
"Voluntary baths are available except when forbidden on account of otorrhoea chronic
bronchitis, etc.