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courses of exercise. Beneficial results are achieved in early cases and small defects prevented
from having serious debilitating effects in later life.
Treatment is arranged by the department for all defects found, and parents are
very happy to take advantage of the facilities.
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, but during the war, St. Bernard's
Hospital treat these defects.
Orthopaedic conditions North Road School Clinic.
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.i.
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.
This clinic is of considerable value for children with mild degrees of bone deformity,
i.e., knock knees, bow legs, flat feet, etc. Minor forms of these complaints are treated
experimentally by means of wedging of shoes and corrective exercises. If good results are
being obtained there is then no need for a specialist's advice, the services of the specialist
thus being available for more serious cases. Several children found to have slight orthopaedic
defects at the wartime nurseries have been treated in this way. It will be noted
that only one expectant mother was persuaded to attend this clinic, and while the total
attendances of infants means that the teacher had plenty of work, I feel that propaganda
is required in order that mothers should make use of this clinic, which can be a
valuable one for them. The demands of war work have prevented several mothers, who
would have been willing to take advantage of the clinic, from doing so.

Health Propaganda.
During the year, Health Visitors were asked to emphasise during their visits, the
importance of anti-diphtheria immunisation, and to increase their efforts in the training of
mothers to realise the importance of the prevention of head lice and scabies, and their
immediate treatment. The Health Visitors also acted on Ministry of Health Circular 2831,
which suggested that more attention should be paid to the 2 to 5 age group in the home,
with special reference to dietetics and hygiene.
A scheme was commenced during the year, whereby mothers of infants, ascertained
from the birth notifications to be now one year old, were sent a birthday card, which
contained, as well as a greeting message, a reminder that the child was now old enough to
be immunised against diphtheria.
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