View report page

(c). Minor Ailments and Disease of the Skin.
The Minor Ailments Clinics have again proved to be a very active feature of the School
Medical Service, and here, as in other branches of our work, the results of an increasing school
population continue to be much in evidence. In April the minor ailments treatment centre at the
Cranford Temporary School which was opened last year to serve the growing area in that part
of the Borough was transferred to the new Cranford Junior School.
A treatment centre was also held at the Hounslow Heath Senior School from April to
December.
The Clinics are open at 9 a.m. every week-day throughout the year for the treatment of
minor ailments at the following centres :—
Hounslow—94a, Bath Road.
Heston—The Village Hall.
Isleworth—Health Centre, Busch Corner.
Cranford—Junior School, Berkeley Avenue.
A Medical Officer attends the Clinics on the following sessions : —
Hounslow—Tuesday morning and afternoon.
Friday morning.
Heston—Thursday morning.
Isleworth—Monday and Thursday mornings.
Cases are referred to the Clinics from school medical inspections, or are sent in by Head
Teachers, School Attendance Officers, and Health Visitors. The majority of the cases, however,
are sent in by Head Teachers, who doubtless realise the value of prompt treatment in maintaining
a good school attendance.
Since the middle of 1929 the Minor Ailments Clinics have been kept open during school
holidays (except such general holidays as Christmas Day, Bank Holidays, etc.), but there is
always a considerable drop in the attendance when schools are closed, which points to the fact
that, but for the vigilance of Teachers and Attendance Officers during term time, many of the
cases of minor ailments would go untreated and neglected.
Table IV, Group 1, on page 48 shows that 2,468 cases of minor ailments were treated
under the Authority's schemes. 2,464 of these were treated at the school clinics where they made
12,199 attendances during the year.
In addition to providing daily treatment for minor ailments, these clinics also serve as
centres for special examinations by medical officers, and during the year, 6,434 special examinations
and re-examinations were carried out.
Ringworm of the Scalp.
All children accepting treatment by the Authority are sent to St. John's Hospital for
Diseases of the Skin, Leicester Square, for X-ray treatment under an agreement made with this
hospital in January, 1935.
There have been five cases under treatment by the Authority during the year. Three of
these were new cases and received X-ray treatment at St. John's Hospital. One case received
treatment by application in the School Clinic. The remaining case was one of those inspected
in 1934 and mentioned last year. This case cleared up in December.
12