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officer. Each child attends twice weekly for a period of 50 minutes and the
maximum number of children attending a session is nine.
The number of new cases admitted during the year was 230 and the total
number of individual pupils in attendance was 670. Forty-seven children were
discharged as cured and 42, most of whom were improved, left for various reasons.
The remainder were still under treatment at the end of the year.
Artificial
limbs
Artificial limbs were supplied free and were made and fitted at Queen Mary's
Hospital, Roehampton, to which children are admitted, if necessary, for training in
the use of a limb.
Enuresis
The arrangements made with the Westminster Hospital (All Saints genitourinary
department) for reference on two sessions a week of pupils from Council
schools suffering from enuresis, continued.
An average of 9 new patients and 42 old patients were seen each week by
appointment, plus 2.3 sporadics. At the end of the year there were 534 current
cases attending the clinic, and the records showed an average improvement of 33⅓
out of each possible 100 dry beds among all age groups (ranging from 4 to 17 years)
attending. Forty-four pupils were discharged as cured. Sixty-two cases ceased to
attend because cured.
In addition to the clinic established by the Council at the Clapham Park School
Treatment Centre in 1948, new clinics were opened during the year at the Tooting
and Wandsworth Centres. Of 226 pupils who attended at these clinics regularly, 51
(22 per cent.) were cured, 133 (59 per cent.) improved, and 42 (19 per cent.) did
not respond to treatment.
Many of the children attending had been previously treated at other hospitals,
by private practitioners, or at child guidance or other clinics. Each child is
medically examined in detail, including urinalysis, and is X-rayed or referred for
other specialist examination and advice for conditions which may have a bearing
on the enuresis. As confidence is established in the parents and the child, improvement
takes place, the periods between attendances are lengthened and the parents
are advised to bring the child back should there be any recurrence of the trouble.
Each child is followed up by the children's care organisation.
Tonsils
and
Adenoids
In view of the fact that the waiting lists for tonsils and adenoid operations for
London school children had risen to well over 3,500 by March, 1949, negotiations
were entered into with the four Metropolitan Regional Hospital Boards for the
purpose of setting up special units in hospitals to deal with the problem. Arrangements
were completed with the North-East and South-East Metropolitan Regional
Hospital Boards, under which this Council provided nursing staff from volunteers
from the School Health Service, and the Boards provided the services of surgeons
and facilities for operations. The scheme in the North-East region had only been
functioning for a few weeks, and the scheme in the South-East region had not been
implemented, when, due to the heavy incidence of poliomyelitis in August, operative
treatment was suspended.
Classes for
foot defects
Special classes to correct foot defects, before they develop into permanent
disabilities, had been formed in 78 schools during 1948. These classes were under
the supervision of a part-time specialist in physical medicine, who selected suitable
children, and of trained teachers, selected by the Council's organisers of physical
training. By the end of 1949 this figure dropped to 70. Growing difficulties with
regard to both staffing and accommodation led to this fall and the fact that the
number of schools holding classes was as high as 70 was due to the interest and cooperation
of the head teachers and staff concerned.
It was suggested that remedial gymnasts should be appointed for the work,
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