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With regard to the general work amongst the school children of London, smallpox
continued to be prevalent and caused much anxiety and work, though fortunately
its incidence was less than in 1930 (page 86).
The special care given to rheumatic children was intensified during the year
and the number of children admitted through the scheme to the Council's special
hospitals was doubled owing to the additional accommodation which was made
available.
Special attention is directed to the portion of the report, which deals with the
work of the Wick dental clinic (page 28), to the sections on care committee work
(page 12), nursery schools (page 57), child guidance (page 59), children suffering
from cardiac disease (page 77), and the experiment which was tried of sending
selected children from the schools for the mentally defective to a camp school at
Loughton (page 53).
Staff.
The public health department is organised upon the basis of three branches,
(i) special hospitals including control of the acute infectious diseases and of the
ambulance service ; (ii) general hospitals and district medical work transferred
from the poor-law guardians ; and (iii) general public health administration including
housing and the school medical service. Three principal medical officers take charge
of the three branches, viz. (i) special hospitals, etc., Dr. J. A. H. Brincker ; (ii) general
hospitals and poor-law medical administration, etc., Dr. W. Brander ; and (iii) general
public health administration, Dr. W. A. Daley. With the exception of the administrative
work in connection with infectious disease in schools which is directed by Dr.
Brincker, who is assisted by a principal assistant medical officer (Dr. J. G. Forbes), the
work of the school medical service falls entirely in the branch directed by Dr. Daley
and is organised in two main sections. One of these sections, of which the senior
medical officer in charge is Dr. C. J. Thomas, embraces the medical inspection
of school children, the medical and dental treatment and cleansing of school children,
open-air schools and general school hygiene. For purposes of routine medical
inspection, etc., London is divided into five divisions, north-west (divisional medical
officer, Dr. A. W. Sikes); north (divisional medical officer, Dr. F. C. Lewis); northeast
(divisional medical officer, Dr. G. Chaikin) ; south-east (divisional medical
officer, Dr. H. R. Kidner); south-west (divisional medical officer, Dr. E. E. Argles).
The remaining staff in this branch of the school medical work included one
principal assistant medical officer for aural work (Mr. A. G. Wells) ; eight part-time
assistant aurists ; one part-time consulting dental surgeon (Dr. A. Livingston,
resigned 31st October, 1931); one part-time principal assistant medical officer
(Dr. B. Tchaykovsky); one divisional medical officer for ophthalmic work, nursery
schools, etc. (Dr. E. M. McVail); *21 whole-time assistant medical officers ; 10
assistant medical officers giving six sessions a week ; 46 assistant medical officers
giving three sessions a week ; additional temporary medical assistance for 140
sessions a week ; 9 medical officers (part-time) at open-air schools ; 266 surgeons
and anaesthetists at treatment centres ; and 93 dentists at treatment centres, of
whom 66 are employed as inspecting dentists in the schools.
The duties of Miss D. E. Bannon, matron-in-chief of the public health department,
include the superintendence of the school nursing staff in addition to the supervision
and organisation of the nursing staff at the hospitals and institutions transferred
under the Local Government Act, 1929. The school nursing service comprises
at present five assistant superintendents, 84 school nursing sisters and 296 nurses.
The other section concerned with the school medical service (Dr. F. C. Shrubsall,
senior medical officer) includes the medical examination at the County Hall of
scholarship candidates, school teachers, etc., and the medical work in special schools
•Two vacancies—also two medical officers are temporarily seconded for work under the
Mental Deficiency Acts (equivalent substitutes authorised).