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Tonsils and Adenoids 5
Feeding Difficulties 2
Avitaminosis D 1
Miscellaneous Ailments 13

Orthopaedic. Patients attending the Centres who require treatment
for orthopaedic defects are referred by the Medical Officer of
Health to the Orthopaedic Departments of the Croydon General and
Guy's Hospitals. During the year 8 cases received treatment.
ARTIFICIAL SUNLIGHT: SOLARIUM.
A certain minimum of irradiation by sunlight in the open air is
essential for life and health, especially for growing children. In existing
circumstances in this country where, for five or six months, the
sunlight is of little value, the majority of children cannot receive
enough natural irradiation for optimum growth and health. Before
the war certain food substances, like dairy produce and eggs, canned
salmon, herrings, sardines and chocolate, all of which contain considerable
quantities of Vitamin D (the product of irradiation) were
consumed as food. But these are now in very limited supply. Cod
liver oil, etc., which contains the natural Vitamin D (derived originally
from sunlight) is provided for all children to make up to some extent
for deficient sun irradiation. But it is known that many children
either do not take it, or get it in amounts that are quite inadequate.
Irradiation by special lamps (arc lamp, mercury vapour lamp, etc.)
is used as a substitute for the sun's rays to an increasing extent, in
factories and workshops, and also for child welfare centres.
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