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48
between October, 1935, and October, 1936, consisted of 38 boys who made an average
gain of 12.32 kilograms, while a control class working under ordinary conditions
but otherwise as nearly comparable as possible made an average gain of 9.35 kilograms
only.
Convalescence
In addition to the provision for children at residential open-air schools, there is
now a large provision for convalescence in institutions of the Council's special
hospitals service.
This is one of the benefits of inestimable value which the Local Government
Act, 1929, has bestowed upon the school children of London. The institutions
were formerly maintained by the Metropolitan Asylums Board and were restricted
in their use. Now they are open to children referred through the school medical
service. Full advantage is being taken of them by the elementary school children,
and the resources of the service for promoting the welfare of the school population
are thus immensely increased. In the year 1936, 4,509 children were discharged
from convalescence at the undermentioned Council's hospitals.
Institution
No. of children discharged from
convalescence in 1936
St. Anne's home
Goldie Leigh hospital
Downs hospital for children
Lower Southern hospital
Princess Mary's hospital for children
Millfield convalescent hospital
Total
1,339
231
515
1,829
188
407
4,509
Except at the Lower Southern hospital, education is provided for the convalescent
children and the institutions are recognised by the Board of Education as
hospital schools. Princess Mary's hospital was closed during the latter part of the
year.
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 in 1936
grants to the Association in respect of a maximum period of eight weeks' convalescence
were authorised for each of 1,315 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.
The opening-out of this provision for convalescence has indeed been a boon to
London children, and it has greatly mitigated the sense of frustration which afflicted
social workers and officers alike when faced with the long delays and checks, which
formerly so frequently occurred and so hampered the work of children's care.
In the words of the Annual Report of the Social Service Department of St.
Thomas's hospital: "No longer is there the heart-breaking experience of a child
waiting and waiting to go away for the treatment which is urgently required, and
losing ground because of the delay; but, on the contrary, it seems always possible
in London for something to be arranged with great speed, either through the London
County Council or through some voluntary organisation."
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 1936,460 school journeys were projected, of which 430 were to homeland
and 30 to continental resorts. The children taking part were medically examined