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32
Patients referred for massage for the following conditions:—
Pes cavus 2
Pes planus 1
One patient was referred to hospital for surgical treatment for the following
condition:—
Congenital talipes equino varus.
Two patients were referred to their medical practitioners for the following
conditions:—
Verruca vulgaris 1
Adducted digit 1."
Child Guidance Clinic.
During 1937 the question of the establishment of a child guidance clinic in
connection with infant welfare centres was discussed with the Child Guidance Council,
a body which has as one of its objects the encouragement of local authorities and
other bodies to set up clinics at which various nervous and behaviour disorders in
children are investigated and treated.
The reason for desiring to make treatment available at such centres was mainly
to bring out the preventive effect of the measures, since investigation had shown
that it was in the earlier years, before the child entered school and while he was
still or should be attending the welfare centre, that the difficulties occurred and the
nervous trouble was established.
Though a clinic of this kind had been in operation in the provinces for some
time, no similar scheme had been tried in London. As a result of the discussions,
the Child Guidance Council decided that it would be worth while to make a trial of
the arrangement at two of the better-known centres in the metropolis, and of these
St. Marylebone Health Centre No. 2, it was felt, should be one.
The Borough Council approved the proposal and the Child Guidance Council
placed at their disposal, for the purpose of conducting a clinic on one afternoon per
week, one of their specialist medical officers for a period of one year, and themselves
undertook to meet all expenses. The officer appointed was Dr. Grace Sherwood
Calver, Physician, Children's Department, Tavistock Clinic; Medical Psychologist,
Aural Department, Infants' Hospital; Demonstrator in Mental Hygiene, King's
College ; and Lecturer in Mental Hygiene, Mothercraft Training Society.
The first session of the clinic was held at Health Centre No. 2 on the 20th January,
1938, cases being referred during the experimental period by the Deputy Medical
Officer of Health and the Maternity and Child Welfare Medical Officer. The following
report on the first year's working is submitted by Dr. Grace Calver:—
"The purpose of the work was to discover whether in an infant welfare
centre there were cases which the doctor in charge would refer to a child guidance
unit attached to the centre. If such cases were referred, the type of cases, and
how these could most effectively be dealt with: (a) advice to the mother;
(b) simple play therapy with the child; (c) referral to an organised child guidance
clinic.
This report covers the work done in such a unit for a period of roughly
twelve months, during which 64 new cases have been seen and a total number
of 118 attendances made.
Age Groups.
i. Greatest number of cases fall between 1 year and 2 years. Boys
predominate.
ii. Second largest group is between 2 and 3 years old, and in this group
the number of boys and girls are equal.