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(g) Convalescent Treatment.—Following the Annual Report
for 1932 the Education Committee decided to increase the provision
for convalescent treatment and during 1934 these increased facilities
became available. At the present time two places for boys and two
places for girls, for periods of six weeks, are reserved throughout
the whole year at the Russell Cotes School of Recovery, Parkstone,
Bournemouth. In addition, two places for boys and two places
for girls are reserved during the winter months at the King Edward
Memorial Convalescent Home at Bexhill. It is possible, therefore,
to arrange for a maximum of 22 boys and 22 girls to receive the
very great benefits which accrue from a stay of six weeks by the sea.
In addition, the King Edward Memorial Convalescent Home Fund
allocate a small number of free places at their Bexhill home during
the Summer months for children from Ealing.
During the year under review thirty children were sent under
the Authority's scheme for convalescent treatment, 24 for a period
of six weeks, two for a period of twelve weeks, while four children
had their stay extended to eight weeks to permit them to remain
at Parkstone during Christmas.
A review of the 24 children sent to the Russell Cotes School of
Recovery provides striking proofs of the value of convalescent
treatment. The twelve boys showed increases in weight varying
from a minimum of 3 lbs. 7 ozs. to 6 lbs. 11 ozs., the average gain
being 4 lbs. 13 ozs., and although the girls do not show such a
uniform increase their average gain was 3 lb. 4 ozs. Only one
child, a girl of ten years, returned home with a decrease in her weight,
but apparently as compensation she had increased in height in
the six weeks by no less than 11/8 inches. Increases in height and
weight are by no means the only results achieved. The children
return home in good spirits and excellent health, while their holiday
must remain a happy memory for a long time.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
At the end of each week the head-teachers report all new
cases of non-notifiable infectious disease. In this way 1,361
cases of measles, 252 of whooping cough, 553 of chickenpox and
601 of mumps, were brought to the notice of the school medical
department.