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163
air school. During 1936 there was one such child : she became
worse and was admitted to hospital. Throughout the country
there is some difference of opinion as to whether a child with rheumatic
carditis does well at an open air school. The following
extract from " The Health of the School Child," 1935, is of interest
in this connection :—At the London County Council's Queen
Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, 300 rheumatic children sleep on verandahs
in full open air conditions, both winter and summer, and
day and night, with almost complete freedom from colds and
infectious diseases."
The experience, in Leyton, is that children with inactive
rheumatic disease of the heart do well in an open air school. There
is no demonstrable change in the heart lesion but the general health
of the child improves greatly. Care in the selection of rheumatic
children for admission to the open air school is, perhaps, the essence
of the problem.
That 86 per cent. of the children medically re-examined greatly
improved in health is a sufficient indication of the need for, and
value of, the Open Air School.
Defective Children.
Blind and Partially Blind Children.
One child left a day special school for myopic children on
attaining the statutory leaving age, and one on removal from the
area. One child died.
Responsibility ceased in the case of a child at a residential
blind school on removal of the parents from the area.
Four children were admitted to a residential ophthalmic
school, and 3 discharged.
Deaf and Dumb Children.
One child was admitted to a day special school for deaf children,
and 2 to a residential deaf school.
One child left a day special school for deaf children on attaining
the statutory leaving age.
Epileptic Children.
One child was discharged from an Epileptic Colony on attaining
the statutory leaving age.