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30
Facilities at two of the Council's general hospitals, viz., Mile End and St.
Charles', were utilised during the year.
With scarlet fever present in the population to a major extent, it has been found
that there is a definite connection between the operation of tonsillectomy and the
development of an attack of scarlet fever.
At the Cyril Henry centre a series of cases occurred in which scarlet fever
supervened within the incubation period of the disease after operation. The introduction
of the administration of anti-streptoccal serum was followed by the
cessation of the occurrence of fever cases after operation. Particulars are given in
the section of the report upon infectious diseases (p. 50).
Ringworm.
There is a continued reduction in the number of school children suffering from
ringworm of the scalp. These have now sunk to the comparatively insignificant
total of 178, compared with 224 during the year 1932, and 1,167 so recently as in
1925.
Minor
ailments.
The number of minor ailment cases treated was 110,600, including 11,876 cases
seen by nurses only. The total number of attendances made at the centres by these
cases was 1,402,978. During 1932 the number of cases dealt with was 112,177,
including 11,902 nurses' cases, and 1,471,005 attendances were made.
After-care
clinic.
The after-care clinic for mastoid and otorrhoea cases at Leighton-road, Kentish
Town, was formerly maintained by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, as part of St.
Margaret's hospital, for dealing with the after-care of children who had been operated
upon for mastoid disease at the Downs hospital, Sutton. A large number of children
were referred from the school medical service for operation at that hospital. Mr. A.
G. Wells, one of the Council's principal assistant medical officers, who supervises the
aural work of the school medical service generally, personally undertook, by an
arrangement with the Metropolitan Asylums Board, the supervision of the after-care
of all the children at the centre, and undertook many of the mastoid operations at
Downs hospital. Under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1929, the
functions of the Metropolitan Asylums Board were transferred to the Council, and
from the appointed day until September, 1933, the arrangements at Leighton-road
were continued as formerly.
The scope of the work has, however, gradually been enlarged and all cases of
otorrhoea and ear discharge amongst children at the transferred schools have also
been dealt with at the clinic. For this purpose those children requiring treatment
were temporarily transferred to the Andover children's homes, Holloway. This
arrangement has proved most successful and valuable as a considerable number of
the children in the transferred schools and homes who suffered from chronic
otorrhoea have been cured by the special treatment provided, including ionisation.
The situation of the centre in Kentish Town was however not suitable geographically,
as children operated upon at Downs hospital came from all districts of London ; and,
as they often required frequent visits for after-care, considerable hardship was caused
particularly to those living in south London. The closure of the Andover homes in
June, 1933, made it still more necessary to secure a more central situation for the
centre, so that children from the transferred schools could attend for oversight and
treatment. By a re-arrangement of the work in the general and special hospitals,
Mr. Wells no longer undertakes the mastoid operations at the Downs hospital, but
he continues to work at the after-care clinic which has now, with the consent of the
Board of Education, been transferred from the jurisdiction of the special hospitals
division to the school medical service.
New accommodation for the after-care clinic has been acquired at St. George's
dispensary, 86 Blackfriars-road, S.E.1., which is very central and accessible from all
parts of London. The work was transferred to the new premises in September, 1933.
Dental
treatment
There are 69 dental treatment centres under the Council's scheme. These include
the Eastman clinic and the centre at the King's Canadian camp school, Bushy Park.
In addition there is a special experimental centre at Berkshire-road school, to which
reference is made later. A new centre was opened in September, 1933, at Streatham.