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58
In addition to the provision detailed above, the Council has agreed to pay grants
to the Invalid Children's Aid Association on account of certain children convalesced
by the Association. This provision came into operation in May, 1935, and by the
end of the year the Council had paid grants to the Association in respect of a
maximum period of eight week's convalescence for each of 566 children.
Lower Southern hospital is primarily an infectious diseases hospital, and the
continuance of convalescent arrangements here cannot be counted upon all the
year round.
School journeys.
The teachers in many schools voluntarily organise arrangements by which
children are taken during term time to hostels and camps in the country or by the
seaside, for periods generally of two or three weeks. The Council has directed that
the school medical service shall assist so far as is possible with this excellent work.
In 1935, 429 school journeys were made (compared with 407 in 1934), and the
children taking part were medically examined in all cases before departure. In all
14,310 children were examined (the corresponding figure for 1934 being 13,569);
and of these 49 were excluded as unfit to take part in the journeys on various grounds,
including the following (the figures in parenthesis refer to the year 1934):—otorrhcea,
8 (7); infectious disease or contacts, 4 (4); tonsillitis and kindred ailments, 11 (12);
temperature, 5 (11); personal hygiene, 0 (2); skin diseases, 10 (14); heart, 4 (0).
Several children were provisionally rejected on grounds connected with personal
hygiene but were subsequently passed after visiting a bathing centre. Separate
figures are given on page 54 respecting the school journeys from open-air schools
for tuberculous children.
Provision of meals.
Dinners are provided for necessitous children attending school, and follow menus
which have been approved by the school medical officer.
Samples of meals provided are taken from time to time and submitted for
analysis by the Council's chemist, the required standard being that each complete
meal should contain 25 grammes protein and have a heat value of 750 calories.
The menus of dinner meals have been revised during 1935. As the result the
subjoined general instructions were issued for the guidance of domestic subjects
instructresses.
Quantities and ingredients to be allowed for each child in preparing meals of
various types:—
1. Meat meals.
Meat (uncooked), 3½ ozs. with bone; 2½ ozs. without bone.
Potatoes, J lb.
Root vegetables, ½ lb., or green vegetables, 1/4 lb.
Second course.—A selection of one of the types of pudding set out below.
2. Soup meals.
Stock, ½ pt.
Pulse vegetable, 2 ozs.
Cereal, ½ oz.
Potatoes, ½ 1b.
Dripping, ½ oz.
Seasoning.
Minced meat or liver can be added to this with advantage.
Fresh vegetables in season to be included for variety.
Second course.—This must always consist of some form of suet pudding.
3. Meat puddings and pies.
Meat (without bone), 2} ozs.
Flour, 2 ozs.
Suet, 2/3 oz., or dripping and/or lard.
Potatoes, 1/3 lb.
Root vegetables, 1/5 lb., or green vegetables, 1/4 lb.
Seasoning.
Second course.—Either of puddings (c), (d), (e), (f), (g).