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101
former years— i.e., a charge of twopence per week was made for
treatment at the Minor Ailment Clinic, and three pence per attendance
at the Dental Clinic (sixpence if gas is given). For spectacles and for
nose and throat operations parents are asked to sign a form of consent
and willingness to pay at least part of the cost before the child is
referred for treatment. In really necessitous cases the Local
Authority bears the whole cost. During the year the sum of
£ 320 17s. 6d. was collected as follows :—
£ .s. d.
Minor Ailment Clinics 2132
For cost of spectacles 40 14 6
For convalescent treatment 80 3 6
For operations for tonsils and adenoids 146 19 11
For dental treatment 49 14 5
For provision of instruments 120
The Local Authority still reserves four beds (two for boys and
two for girls) at the Russell-Cotes School of Recovery, Parkstone,
Dorset. The children are sent for a period of six weeks or longer;
15 girls and 14 boys were sent during 1937.
During 1937 two beds were also reserved for a period of six months
at Collington Manor, Bexhill, and three girls and three boys were
sent during this period. Wherever possible, the Local Authority
recovers part of the cost of maintenance from the parent, but as most
of the children are drawn from really necessitous homes, the amount
recovered is comparatively small.
During the course of the year, in addition to the help set out
above, one child was supplied with a surgical instrument, and ten
children were sent to residential schools other than the Russell-Cotes
School or Collington Manor.
There was a total of 14 deaths among the school children during
the year. In 1936 there were five. The causes of death during
1937 were as follows :—
1 Miliary Tuberculosis.
3 Pneumonia.
1 Cerebral Abscess.
2 Heart Disease.
1 Laryngeal Diphtheria.
4 Meningitis.
1 Neuroblastoma (Malignant).
1 Accident (Fractured Skull).
THE SCHOOL MEDICAL SERVICE IN RELATION TO
PUBLIC HEALTH.
The hygienic conditions of the schools in Enfield are the same
as in my report for the year 1935.