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time bedridden. The provision directly provided by the Council for children is as
follows :—
Hospital. Type of case. Accommodation.
Queen Mary's, Carshalton. Surgical tuberculosis. Orthopaedic cases. Heart
disease. Congenital malformations. General. 1,284
Princess Mary's, Surgical tuberculosis. Orthopaedic cases 221
Margate. Convalescence 50
Heatherwood, Ascot Surgical tuberculosis. 126
The Downs, Sutton Ear diseases. Rheumatism and heart disease. General. Convalescence. 360
High Wood, Brentwood Rheumatism 206
Tuberculosis 220
Northern (part of), Winchmore Hill Encephalitis 84
.
White Oak, Swanley Eye diseases 364
Goldie Leigh, Abbey Wood. Skin diseases. Convalescence 248
St. Anne's, Heme Bay General for cases needing seaside treatment and convalescence.127
Millfield, Littlehampton Seaside convalescence 98
Southern Dartford. (Lower), Convalescence 250
Besides these, the Council contracts with various homes and hospitals for
cases which may need country or seaside residence and supervision, but not in most
cases active surgical treatment.
Cases of chronic bronchitis and the like may be sent to residential open-air
schools, such as the Sun Trap, Hayling Island, or St. Catherine's, Ventnor.
Epileptic children of special school age, if of adequate mentality, are sent to
the schools at the Lingfield, Chalfont, or Much Hadham colonies, admission being
preceded by reports from the Council's certifying officers.
During the year Mr. N. Bishop Harman, F.R.C.S., the consulting ophthalmic
surgeon, retired on reaching the age limit. Mr. Harman joined the service in 1903,
and was associated with the then medical officer (education) in the earlier development
of the schools for the blind and the partially sighted. His reports on the
causes of blindness and seriously defective vision were for a long time the most
authoritative statistical data available. His influence was largely responsible for
keeping up official and public interest on the question of the prevention of blindness,
which was shown by the making notifiable of ophthalmia neonatorum and by the
establishment and setting up of committees on the question of the prevention of
blindness.
The blind
and
partially
sighted.
In the report of the Departmental Committee of the Ministry of Health, 1926,
Mr. Harman was responsible for many of the data, and, in co-operation with others,
for the classifications adopted. He showed that over one-third of cases of blindness
had their incidence during the school years, and that certain of the conditions
were capable of being alleviated by improved methods of notification and treatment.
Recent statistics have shown the considerable fall which has taken place in blindness
originating at, or before, the school age, as the result of the improved treatment of
venereal disease including ophthalmia neonatorum and the closer supervision
resulting from the inspection of a considerable number of infants in welfare centres
and almost the entire school population during the school age.
Mr. Harman is, however, best known for his work in connection with the classes
for the partially sighted. In an historical retrospect in the report of the Committee
of Enquiry into Problems Relating to Partially Sighted Children, which has recently
been issued, it was pointed out that the initiation and development of the system
of special education for partially sighted children in London was due in no small
measure to the enterprise and foresight of Mr. Harman. His suggestions and the
procedure adopted in London were discussed at international conferences and the
procedure adopted by the Council gave a lead, not only to public authorities in
England, but to the whole western world. In particular Mr. Harman's ideas have
been taken up with enthusiasm in America where many " sight-saving classes "