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mendation for operation to relieve these complaints. It is essential
in these conditions to seek the primary cause and treat that. Only
a cure of the primary cause will effect a cure of the complaint.
Hypertrophied tonsils are commonly only a result and sign of a
primary source elsewhere and, naturally, a removal of the sign only
will not cure the disease.
A special clinical session was held at the School for the Deaf.
Arrangements were made for cases found on examination to require
special treatment to have this carried out at the clinic. In the course
of the year only one case of discharging ear occurred in this school.
The new Western Electric group hearing aids supplied to the
school over a year ago have been very successful and the teachers
are very enthusiastic about the help in teaching that these aids
provide.
The general health and standard of nutrition of all the children
seen at the aural clinic during the year were very good.
The number of children who attended the clinic and total
attendances during the year are shown in the Statistical Summary
at the end of this Report.
(d) Orthopaedic and Physiotherapy Clinic.—Following the
retirement of Mr. B. Whitchurch Howell, F.R.C.S., Mr. G. Rigby
Jones, M.C., F.R.C.S., Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the
Connaught Hospital took charge.
Mr. Whitchurch Howell retired in May, 1953, on reaching the
age limit laid down by the Regional Hospital Board after 30 years'
devoted service to the crippled children of Walthamstow. Up to
July, 1948, Mr. Whitchurch Howell was directly employed by the
Walthamstow Education Committee and subsequently by the North
East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.
The record of Mr. Whitchurch Howell's service is that of the
orthapaedic scheme which has been built up in Walthamstow and
commencing with a monthly orthopædic ascertainment session held
on a voluntary basis at Lloyd Park Mansion in 1923. This was
followed by the opening of a "Physically Defective Centre " at the
Joseph Barrett School in February, 1924. Under Mr. Whitchurch
Howell's general direction a daily physiotherapy service was
provided.
In June, 1924, a residential school for physically defective
children was opened at "Brookfield," Highams Park, with accommodation
for 36 children. This was a voluntary hospital and Mr.
Whitchurch Howell was in orthopaedic and surgical charge and