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Dental Clinic.—This was originally established for the treatment of women,
and children of pre-school age. By arrangement with the London County Council
school children are also dealt with.
Massage Clinics are held weekly at Salisbury Street, Marylebone Lane, and
Queen Charlotte's Hospital.
Schick Testing, etc., Clinics.—As already indicated arrangements for holding
clinics of this kind are made at 113, Marylebone Road. The clinic was held twice
weekly throughout the year and, as the figures given elsewhere show, was largely
used.
THREE-YEAR-OLD PRE-SCHOOL CLINIC.
This clinic, established in an experimental kind of way in the early part of
1931, has continued to grow in importance and favour. The object of its initiation
under Dr. Bulman was to endeavour to make touch before they entered school
with children who had never attended any clinic or welfare centre and to find out
something with regard to their condition for their own benefit and for the information
of the School Medical Officer.
To this end children who would attain the age of three years in the various
months of the year were picked out of the register, care being taken to confirm
that they were still alive and had not been in attendance at the centres. To the
parents of those thought suitable for approach a note in the following form was
sent:—
Dear Mr. and Mrs
Three years ago in I had a notification about the birth of your
little one and this letter is an invitation to you to visit the Borough Council's
clinic provided for the medical examination of little children just before they
start on school life.
It is a great advantage for anyone to be medically examined from time to
time but in childhood the advantage is greatest of all, because the chances of
putting right anything that may unfortunately be wrong are so very much
greater in the early years. As you know, arrangements are made for medical
inspection in school and experience shows that the more the school doctor
knows about a child's health in early days, the greater the amount of good
that can be done or care that can be taken.
The Council's clinic, though it is held at No. 113, Marylebone Road (two
doors from the Town Hall), is attached to my department and is open on
Wednesday afternoons at 2 o'clock, and if you will bring your little one up
next Wednesday, Dr. Bulman will make the examination and have a chat
with you and give you any advice or suggestions that he thinks necessary.
Yours faithfully,
Charles Porter,
Medical Officer of Health.
Thereafter a visit was paid to the house to renew the invitation and to explain
more fully the objects, etc. Clinics are held once a month and speaking generally
have been well attended.
The following table gives information with regard to number of attendances,
and other matters.
Of the 84 children who were examined during 1933, 39 needed treatment for
one or more conditions. The following is a summary of the conditions found :—
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids ... ... ... ... 14
Dental caries ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Chronic bronchitis ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Incontinence of urine ... ... ... ... ... 2
Recommended for circumcision ... ... ... ... 1
Rheumatism ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Squint ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Signs of old rickets... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Mentally backward ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Infantile paralysis ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
These children were sent to the appropriate clinics at the Middlesex Hospital.