London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Woolwich 1928

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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159
(d) Artificial Sunlight Clinic. This clinic was opened in
1927. It is situated in rooms on the ground floor of the Old
Town Hall. The accommodation includes a dressing room,
treatment room, bath room and the usual offices. Accommodation
for prams is provided in the pram room of the
welfare centre. The Medical Officer in charge of the clinic is
Dr. J. E. A. Lynham, who is the officer in charge of the electrotherapeutic
section of the War Memorial Hospital. He attends
fortnightly and generally supervises the treatment which is
carried out by the Council's staff. The nurse in charge is
Miss E. V. Farrell, who is a registered nurse and who, before
coming to Woolwich, had experience at the Bethnal Green
and Greenwich artificial sunlight clinics. Since the clinic
was opened, three health visitors have been instructed in the
methods of using artificial sunlight treatment and are now
able to take charge of the clinic whenever the necessity arises.
Three types of lamps are in use:— one carbon-arc, 30
amps., one mercury vapour, 9 amps., and one radiant heat
lamp. The current is direct and the voltage is 210. As a
general routine, children undergoing carbon-arc treatment
start with five minutes' exposure at 36 inches and receive
treatment three times a week, the exposure being increased
by one minute at each treatment up to a maximum of twenty
minutes, back and front being exposed alternately. Children
receiving mercury-vapour treatment start at minutes back
and front at 36 inches, receive treatment three times a week,
and the exposure is increased by half a minute each time up
to a maximum of twenty minutes, i.e., ten minutes back
and front. Radiant heat is sometimes used separately but
more often in conjunction with the other lamps. The temperature
and pulse are taken before each treatment and if
the temperature exceeds 99 degrees F., no treatment is given.
If it is between 98.4 and 99 degrees, the temperature is taken
after treatment. The weights are recorded every four weeks,
and, towards the end of the year, photographs were being