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to the St. John's Open-air School for Heart Gases, Woodford
Bridge. During the year 1937 the number of children treated as
in-patients in these special institutions was 31.
The following is a report from Dr. Wilfrid Sheldon, who
was in charge of the patients treated at the St. John's Open-air
School for heart cases. It should be noted that this is a general
report, which applies also to patients other than those admitted
from West Ham. The report is useful in that it indicates the
main dangers in the treatment of patients who are suffering from

rheumatic heart disease, and the most recent methods of treatment.
"It is a pleasure to record the completion of another year
of useful work at St. John's School. The School is a residential
home for convalescent boys, and contains 124 beds, of which 40
are reserved for boys with rheumatic heart disease, and it is with
this latter group that this report is concerned. During the last
year 66 cases of rheumatic heart disease have been admitted and
about an equal number discharged. During the year two of the
children have succumbed to progressive cardiac failure, associated
with a fresh exacerbation of acute rheumatic inflammation, and it
may be added that in view of the advanced state of the rheumatic
process in some of the boys, it is perhaps a matter for
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