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97
the two groups. A full report by B. Benjamin and G. D. Pirrie on this investigation
was published in The Medical Officer, 87.137 (5 April, 1952).
Children
overseas

It is noteworthy that the two girls who continued almost free from asthma
both came from families rehoused outside London whilst the children were away.
Many of the children lost weight as quickly as they had gained it and several are
now again in day or boarding open-air schools.
Seven London children recovering from pulmonary tuberculosis were part of
a group of twelve sent in February, 1951, to Leysin by the Swiss Economic Council
for six months. They did quite well during their stay but it is doubtful whether there was
great advantage in such a step compared with stay in a boarding open-air school
in this country.
Two boys with asthma were, by the generosity of the Rt. Hon. Winston S.
Churchill, included in a party of Birmingham children who went to the Christian-Kunzle
Home at Davos for six months in July, 1951. Both have had asthma since their
return in January, 1952, and have been re-admitted to open-air schools.
It is quite clear that, while a stay in Switzerland offers a period of freedom from
asthma and an opportunity for good physical development which will always be of
advantage, the return to the old environment with its causes, physical or psychological
that precipitated an attack in the past, will be likely to reproduce the same chain of
events in the future; Switzerland can provide no certain cure for a child with asthma,
but by careful selection of children who do not respond to treatment here, a great
deal of lmnrovement can be sained.
Follow-up by
school health
service of
children
discharged
from hospital
The arrangements for forwarding discharge reports in respect of child in-patients
from the former L.C.C. hospitals by means of a special "follow-up" card were
continued. In addition certain hospitals make use of a specially printed carbonbacked
form by means of which a copy of the discharge summary is sent to the
divisional medical officer and to the family doctor. Other hospitals send to the divisional
medical officer a copy of the report sent by them to the family doctor.
Co-operation
with family
doctor
The school health service co-operates with the family doctor as well as with
hospitals in the care of the school child. The practitioner is given the opportunity
of himself making the arrangements, if he prefers to do so, for the investigation
or treatment of any defects disclosed at school medical inspections. In the vast
majority of cases the family doctor prefers to allow the school health service to make
the arrangements.
Speech
therapy
At the end of 1951 there were 23 speech therapy clinics for children attending
ordinary schools. The staff, including 3 speech therapists recently added to the
staff, consisted of 1 senior speech therapist, 4 whole-time speech therapists, and 4
part-time speech therapists, under the supervision of Dr. Copithorne, a senior assistant
medical officer.
The number of new cases attending clinics during the year was 206. 118 children
were discharged cured, and 56, most of whom were improved, ceased to attend for
various reasons. The number of children remaining under treatment at the end of
December, 1951, was 536. The number on the waiting list was 296.