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Both schools are visited by the Certifying Medical Officer once a fortnight and each child is
seen every six months. The parents are notified of any defects found which require attention.
The majority of the children at these schools who are actual cripples attend periodically
either an Orthopaedic Hospital or the Orthopaedic Department of a General Hospital. In a few
cases difficulty is found in getting the parents to keep their children under the care of an Orthopaedic
Surgeon. The cost of travel and the distances to the nearest hospitals are the chief factors in
preventing this being carried out. Difficulty also arises when a case is ordered special daily treatment
which can only be carried out in an Orthopaedic Department. When the Orthopaedic Clinic to be
established in Willesden is in working order, these difficulties will disappear, and it will be practicable
for every cripple child to be kept under the care of a Specialist and also to have such treatment
as is considered necessary for the particular defect.
Convalescence.—Convalescent homes for children attending the Physically Defective Schools
are arranged by the Invalid Children's Aid Association and by the Shaftesbury Society. The Stamford
Hill Cripples' Home has a branch at Thorpe Bay near Southend-on-Sea and this institution admits
Willesden children at a reduced rate.
The Education Committee have now made arrangements with the Russell-Cotes School of
Recovery, Parkstone, near Bournemouth, for the reservation of two more beds at this Institution
for Willesden boys, making 4 in all. This home was provided by the donors as a country residence
near the sea for poor town boys and girls who are anaemic and debilitated and who are physically
defective within the meaning of the Education Act, 1921, and it is recognised by the Board of
Education as a Special Residential School. The boys are selected both from the physically defective
and the ordinary elementary schools and the duration of the stay is six weeks, except in special cases
when an additional six weeks' stay can be arranged. All the cases which have been to the Institution
have shewn a distinct improvement on their return home.
Stammering Children.—The special class for stammering children, privately conducted by
Mr. A. D. Bradfield at Percy Road Council School during 1924, was taken over by the Council with
the approval of the Board of Education on 3rd February, 1925, and has been conducted with considerable
success ever since. This class consists of 10 boys, who receive 2 1-hour lessons per week.
Similar classes, but of 12 children and including girls as well as boys, were started at Pound Lane
Council School in January, 1926, and at Kensal Rise Council School in May, 1926. These two classes
are also conducted by Mr. A. D. Bradfield.
ANTHROPOMETRIC ENQUIRY.
The Council's Medical Staff agreed in 1925 to co-operate with the Board's Anthropometric Committee
in its enquiries. The object of this Committee is " to enquire into certain factors governing
the growth and development of healthy children from infancy up to the age of 18 years and living
under varied conditions, with a view to obtaining a series of anthropometric figures (norms) from all
parts of the country which would be of value to School Medical Officers and others in the estimation
and comparison of nutrition, physique, etc." To complete the schedule in each case involves the
ascertainment of the following: Name, address, age, nationality, place of origin of father and mother,
occupations of parents, order of child in family, standing height, sitting height, weight, chest measurement,
colour of eyes (compared with test glass eyes), colour of hair (compared with test hanks of hair),
three head measurements and any abnormality or disease. As all these facts must be ascertained with
great accuracy to render them of any value for the purposes of the enquiry a considerable expenditure
of time and care is involved in the completion of the schedule for each child. During 1926 the Council's
Medical Staff completed 198 schedules, and the investigation is being continued.
SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN.
During the year the arrangement by which the medical staff of the Willesden Council carry
out the inspection of pupils attending Secondary Schools in Willesden on behalf of the Middlesex
County Council has continued.
710 examinations of secondary school pupils have been carried out during the year 1926 as
compared with 452 in 1925.
The rapid increase in the number represents a considerable increase in the work of the
department.
282 defects were found amongst the scholars examined. No provision has been made for the
treatment of these defects, but the parents and Head Teachers are notified of them and are advised
to the action to be taken.
DENTAL WORK.
The Ninth Annual Report of the Dental work of the Council shows that during the year
13,814 public elementary school children were dentally inspected as compared with 13,550 in the
previous year. 10,250 of these children were found to require treatment as compared with 10,151
in the previous year.
4,923 attendances were made by children at the Authority's Clinics for treatment in 1926
as compared with 4,384 attendances in 1925 and 2,148 such attendances in 1924.