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Treatment.
Cases of acute illness, and of chronic illness where indicated, are referred to their
own doctors for treatment. For certain illness the following arrangements have been
made with London and local hospitals:—
Defect. Hospital.
Tonsils and Adenoids King Edward Hospital, Ealing.
Orthopaedic conditions King Edward Hospital, Ealing.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.
Orthoptic „ Western Ophthalmic Hospital, Marylebone Road.
Rheumatic „ Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, W.C.
Child guidance West End Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Welbeck Street,
W.r.
There are disadvantages in this variety of hospitals, but with the geographical
position of Southall some disadvantages are unavoidable. Help is given with payment
of fares if the family income is below a certain scale.
A system of following-up has been instituted whereby the health visitors make
enquiries to see if the proper treatment has been carried out and, if not, steps are taken
to persuade the parent to obtain the necessary treatment.
Remedial Exercises.
Two afternoon sessions of special Margaret Morris Movement exercises are held
each week at the Branch Health Centre. The duration of the session is two hours, the
first half being devoted to children and the second to expectant mothers.
For children the special play exercises are scientifically modelled to hold the
attention, inculcate a sense of rhythm and benefit the recipient by controlled activity of
each muscle group. Many toddlers exhibit tendencies towards physical deformityand
frequently show a particularly bad posture when resting in the erect position. These
defects, slight in themselves, are frequently overlooked by the parents and even if the
child is taken to consultation at hospital are discounted by the examining physician, who
is unconsciously comparing with marked deformities with which he is more familiar.
Children are selected by members of the medical staff who supervise all the treatment
given, and it has been found that many incipient defects in this early state can easily be
remedied.
The Ante-Natal exercises were evolved along lines suggested by the physiological
event of labour and are designed to acquaint the woman with movements and efforts
which she will be required to make during the time her child is being born. It is unfair
and cruel to expect an untutored patient to respond to orders she cannot understand
when experiencing the anxiety and pain of confinement. Now she calmly prepares in
advance, is reassured and confident that she knows what is expected of her and need
not fear any deterioration in her looks or her physique as a consequence of her pregnancy.
The friendship and association with others dispels that dread replacing it with a sense
of strength in which the event can be regarded as a wonderful experience and the period
of gestation one which can be devoted to improvement both of health and figure.
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