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way lacking it will be necessary for a more thorough and complete medical
inspection to be given and this will necessarily mean more "follow-up"
cases. The parents and children seem to appreciate this service very much
as is indicated by the now fairly high percentage of parents who attend the
medical inspections.
Owing to the special services that have been introduced it may be
necessary before long to increase the nursing staff. It is rather a pity that
a central clinic has not been developed for Edmonton. 1 would like to point
out here that the more clinics that are established the more officers are
required, and I think it is a grave mistake in the case of the School Medical
Service to be establishing a large number of clinics.
The special services suggested in 1936 have been put into operation this
year and Mr. Ibbotson, Senior Consultant Specialist in the Ear, Nose and
Throat Department of the Prince of Wales's General Hospital, began a
monthly Aural Clinic in December, 1937.
Dr. J. Browning Alexander, also of the Prince of Wales's General
Hospital, began a monthly Rheumatic Clinic in November, 1937.
Unfortunately the need for these services was so great that it was
necessary to form a waiting list and gradually bring the cases for treatment.
As the work is necessarily slow during these sessions, it will take quite a
long time to exhaust the numbers already on the list for consultation. It is
a great advantage that the officers appointed are consultants at the same
hospital and that it is within easy reach of Edmonton. In this way difficulties
which are common to both specialists can easily be treated in the hospital.
It will be necessary for contact to be made with a hospital school as it has
been found necessary to exclude children for long periods from school. I
have no doubt that these services, both rheumatic and aural, will, in time,
give very good results to Edmonton, and that the number of severe heart
cases now in existence will, in the near future, diminish.
I regret that Mr. Bradfield, our Speech Correction Instructor, died during
the year. Miss B. N. Oldrey, who is also attached to the staff of the Prince
of Wales's General Hospital, was appointed in his stead. A thorough search
of the schools was made for children requiring speech correction and the
large number of 135 are now on the list—most of them are now under
instruction. I am hoping, in the ensuing year, to have this service extended
to the Maternity and Child Welfare Department so that correction will begin
much earlier, because it is in the early days of speech that most of the defects
develop into habits. We are at present forming a very successful combination
between the aural specialist, the speech therapist and the London
Child Guidance Clinic. The results that have been made at this early stage
are most encouraging and it is to be hoped that greater benefits will be
derived later on.
Miss M. Bishop was appointed to the permanent staff at the beginning
of the year.
During the year the Misses E. Service and N. Humphries left the
service to get married and I wish them every happiness in their future life.
Miss C. D. Logsdon was appointed in the place of Miss Service and commenced
duties on the 16th August, 1937.
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