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262
Environment and Other Conditions in Rheumatism Clinic Cases.
Wards.— Cases were drawn from all wards in the town to
the numbers shown:—Woodside, 5; Whitehorse Manor, 3; West
Thornton, 3; Upper Norwood, 9; Broad Green,7; Waddon,7;
Addiscombe, 2; Thornton Heath, 11; East,1; South Norwood,
6; Bensham Manor, 5; Central, 3; Norbury, 4; South, 2; and
Addington, nil.
Housing Conditions: Subsoil.— No relationship was found to
exist between the type of subsoil and the incidence of rheumatic
infection. This finding was similar to the findings of the three
previous years.
Drainage of Subsoil.—33 of the houses were sufficiently
drained and 18 were well drained; and in 15 drainage was
problematical. 56 of the houses shewed no signs of dampness;
2showed traces; 3 were damp and none very damp.
Aspect.—The commonest aspects of the houses were : S.E.,
6; S.W., 6; E., 7; N.E., 12; N.W., 11; S., 6; N., 7; W., 14.
The bulk of houses in which cases occurred were ordinary
terrace houses (42) or semi-detached (15), and definite overcrowding
was found in no family.
The economic status of the families from whom patients
came was: poor in 6; average working class, 34; better working
class, 20; clerical work, 5; and professional, 3. The interior home
conditions could be classified as: clean, 47; moderately clean, 14;
superior, 7; and in no instance definitely unsatisfactory.
Open-Air Education.
There is as yet no open-air school in Croydon. Playground
classes were held during the summer months at Woodside
School. There was no extension of these classes during 1932.
Blind, Deaf, Defective and Epileptic Children.
Full statistical details are given in Table III. of the Tables
Squired by the Board of Education, Appendix III.
Blind Children.
2 boys and 4 girls are resident at special schools for the blind.
The institutions which these children attend are as follows:—
Royal Normal College for the Blind, 2 boys; Chorley Wood