London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Barking 1926

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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69
ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC.
Seventeen children under school age were referred from the
Infant Welfare Clinics or by the local medical practitioners for
examitation by the Orthopaedic Surgeon during the course of the
year, and, in addition, 20 cases attended for re-examination.
Four of the children received in-patient treatment at Orthopaedic
Hospitals, and surgical instruments were provided for 4 patients
liter their discharge from hospital.
The cases dealt with for the first time during 1926 were referred
for the following conditions:—
Rickets:—
(a) With deformities 6
(b) Without deformities 4
Congenital deformities 2
Poliomyelitis 2
Erbs-palsy 1
Tuberculous spine 1
Adenitis 1
ARTIFICIAL SUNLIGHT CLINIC.
The treatment of infants and children under five years of age
at the Artificial Sunlight Clinic was begun in October, 1926. Cases
are referred by the medical officers in charge of the Infant Welfare
Clinics, and the children attending are kept under constant medical
supervision during their course of treatment.
The majority of the children referred for treatment were suffering
from early rickets and malnutrition. In addition, cases were referred
for the following conditions—chilblains, prematurity, general
debility, and anaemia.
In all, 25 children received treatment during 1926. One session
per week was devoted to these cases, and 89 treatments were
given.
Although it is not possible at this early stage to make a detailed
Analysis of the results obtained, yet there is no doubt that benefit
has accrued in individual cases, particularly those of malnutrition
and rickets.