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ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TREATMENT. This form of treatment, utilising the ultra-violet rays
from mercury vapour lamps, is given at the Children's Hospital, Balaam Street. As might be
expected, the numbers referred for treatment reach a maximum in the winter months. New cases
referred during the year totalled 18.
, REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
by Mr. J.H. Glen, L.D.S.
Unfortunately, the restrictions placed by the Government on the general dental service,
chiefly part payment for dentures, which came into force in May 1951, did not result in
applications being made to the Committee*s advertisements for further dental staff. In
consequence, the service continued as in previous years without the essential basic procedure
of school dental inspections. The annual totals of attendances and work done, are slightly less
than those of the previous year but are accountable by the reduced number of sessions devoted to
treatment which was due to slight sickness and incapacity amongst the professional staff.
It may well be, that the coming year may see a change in the present procedure with the
possibilities of obtaining more dental surgeons to do the work.
A tabular survey of the work of this service appears in Appendix No. Ill on page 8l.
SPEECH DEFECTS. The arrangement whereby the Chief Assistant School Medical Officer makes
periodic visits to the Speech Clinic has continued. During the year 21 visits were made to the
clinic in the grounds of the Greengate school. A clinic is also held once a week at the Grange
Road Child Welfare Clinic. The arrangement was made on account of poor attendance at the main
clinic by children attending schools in the Grange Road area - Gainsborough Road, Grange Road
and Star Lane. The Speech Clinic has now been operating in the precincts of Greengate school for
Just over a year and is-working satisfactorily.
The Speech Therapist has encountered a number of difficult cases and it has been necessary
to send a number of children to the Aural Specialist on account of nose and throat conditions and
partial deafness. It was necessary to send one case to the Fyfield Open Air School. The change
to the Open Air School not only improved the boy's general condition, but his speech defect was
also definitely Improved.
Occasional cases were referred to the paediatrician and to the Child Guidance Clinic. In
the latter event it is usual for the speech therapist to attend the ease conference. During the
course of the year one boy with a severe speech defect was admitted to the Moor House Special School
a residential school dealing with special speech defects. Although the boy made very little
progress at first he eventually began to Improve, and when the Chief Assistant School Medical
Officer saw the boy on a visit to the school for another purpose, the Principal of the school
decided to keep the boy. A girl was also in residence at the school having been admitted the
Previous year.
There is complete co-operation between the Speech Clinic and the various specialist officers,
for which the Chief Assistant School Medical Officer maintains the necessary liaison. The arrangement
by which students of speech therapy attend this clinic at a certain stage of their course,
continued to work smoothly.
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