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the regular attendance and earnest attention of the patients. During the nine
months ended 31st December, 1936, 40 children had been accepted for training and
5 had been discharged cured, whilst those remaining were making good progress.
Work of a similar nature for school children is also being undertaken at the Central
London Ophthalmic hospital and at the Royal Eye hospital.
The number of ear, nose and throat cases dealt with during the year was 13,190,
including 9,116 operations, as compared with 12,766 and 9,037 respectively during
the year 1935. Of the operations, 7,973 were for both enlarged tonsils and adenoids,
742 for tonsils only, and 386 for adenoid growth only. The remaining 15 were
mainly operations in which cauterisation was used.
The incidence of ringworm of the head amongst elementary school children is
now happily of comparatively rare occurrence. This is undoubtedly due to the
continued supervision by the school nursing staff. An amazing improvement has
been effected in this direction during the past 15 years. In the year 1921 there were
as many as 1,913 ringworm cases dealt with annually under the Council's scheme,
whereas during the year 1936 the number of cases was 89, of which 80 were treated
by X-rays, compared with 120 cases (110 X-rays) during the year 1935. X-ray
apparatus is available at five hospitals and five centres in different districts of
London, so that any cases that arise can be dealt with expeditiously.
The number of minor ailments dealt with during the year was 122,305, including
16,548 seen by the nurses only, compared with 117,140 and 14,537 during the year
1935. The total number of attendances made was 1,395,378. In addition, a
numDer of children suffering from scabies and impetigo were treated at the bathing
centres, and these are included under the heading of minor ailments in table IV at the
end of this report which brings the total of minor ailments treated to 130,783. The
early treatment of ailments of a minor character among children is of very great
importance, as the failure to deal with many of the ailments would inevitably lead
to chronic conditions which would not only cause prolonged suffering but would
materially affect the educational progress and attendance of the children in the schools.
It has, therefore, always been the practice to provide centres convenient of access
for the children in the various districts, and in many instances latterly these have
been provided actually in schools themselves, where the daily attendance of a nurse
enabled prompt treatment to be given. The total number of minor ailment centres
is 74, including the three new centres opened during the year at the Comber-grove,
Coopers-lane and the Turnham schools. In addition, a nurse attends daily to carry
out treatment of minor ailments at the following 13 schools, where difficulty is
experienced in arranging for the attendance of the children at the centres :—Ackmarroad
(deaf), Anerley residential (deaf), Chequer-street, Elizabeth-street, Forster,
Hugh Myddelton (deaf), King's Park, Newington-green, Old Kent-road (deaf),
Oldridge-road (partially deaf), Randall-place (deaf), Sleaford-street and Union-street.
The number of dental treatment centres included in the Council's scheme at the
end of 1936 was 69, including the centre at the Berkshire-road school, which is
undertaken without cost to the Council by the Manor Charitable Trust for the
special benefit of the children attending that school. The centre at St. Marylebone
general dispensary was closed on 30th September, 1936. Pending the completion
of a new centre in Marylebone-road, the children in the district are referred for
treatment to neighbouring centres. Dental inspections have been held in the
schools by the 72 part-time inspecting dental surgeons of whom 14 are women, and
2,810 sessions were devoted to the work during the year. The number of children
inspected was 306,969, and of these 193,990 were found to require treatment, a percentage
of 63.39. All children in the schools were seen, with the exception of the
entrants and leavers. It is proposed that during the coming year these shall be
included in the inspections by the dental surgeons. Thereafter it will be the normal
practice for the dental surgeons to inspect children of all ages in the schools at least
once a year.
Ear, throat
and nose.
Ringworm.
Minor
ailments.
Dental
treatment.