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31
Two special reports on these classes have been received from the school doctors,
Dr. E. M. Johnson reports as follows:—
Priory-grove
(boys') school
A health class has been held at the Priory-grove (boys ) school for half an hour each
morning in the playground, except in wet or foggy weather. The number of boys in the class
is usually about 23 ; the total number for the year (including leavers) is 26. The boys vary in
age from 9 to 13 years.
The majority of the boys are suffering from slight degrees of scoliosis, kyphosis or flat-foot,
the remainder from malnutrition or "poor physique." Of the 26 boys, 17 show definite improvement
in chest expansion measurements, in 9 boys there is no improvement. The majority
of the boys show improvement in colour and physique, and the cases of scoliosis and kyphosis
have much benefited as a result of the daily exercises.
Dr. G. Pollock reports as follows:—
Mantua-
street (girls')
school.
The health class at Mantua-street (girls') school was continued throughout the year in
practically the same way as in the past few years. The class has had the benefit of the same
teacher during all the time it has been held. Both teacher and girls take part in the class with
enthusiasm. All the defects treated were of a comparatively minor nature, such as slight stoop,
lordosis, elevation of one shoulder, slight lateral curvature, or faulty attitude when at schoolwork.
Some of the children had no very obvious defect, but it was thought that the exercises would
have a beneficial effect on them generally. All the children showed some definite improvement.
On 1st March, 1932, 21 children were examined, but before the end of the year 5 children
had left the school, so that only 16 had three examinations, the last of which was on 29th November,
1932. The head teacher continues to be much interested in the class, and there should be
no difficulty in having another health class for 1933.

The figures show very strikingly how in two years this work has doubled.
Dr. Banks Raffle is mainly responsible for the following report on the work of
the rheumatism section:—
During the year 1932, 1,234 nominations for hospital treatment under the
rheumatism scheme were received. The admissions to hospital, or for convalescent
treatment, reached the unprecedented figure of 953. The total number of children
attending the rheumatism supervisory centres was 4,538. The school doctors
reported specially on 1,047 children who had received hospital treatment under the
scheme, this number being in addition to the children who, after hospital
treatment, had been passed to the rheumatism supervisory centres for followingup.
The rheumatism register at the County Hall contained the names of more than
23,000 rheumatic children resident in the administrative county of London. These
figures give some idea of the growth of a scheme which began in a small way in 1926.
The increase in the number of nominations for hospital treatment, 1,234 in
1932, compared with 943 in 1931, is to be attributed to the knowledge of the
nominating agencies that the scheme had increased accommodation at its disposal.
The voluntary hospitals nominated 635 children, the rheumatism supervisory
centres 275, and school doctors and child care committees 185. Other nominating
agencies contributed a similar proportion of the total nominations to that in previous
years, except that there was an increase in the number of recommendations by