[Report 1924] / School Medical Officer of Health, Cambridgeshire County Council.

  • Cambridgeshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1924] / School Medical Officer of Health, Cambridgeshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/38 (page 15)
    3- The supply of surgical appliajices, and following up of children to secure attendance at the clinic. 4. An orthopaedic hospital should be available, under open-air conditions in the country, and with both residential and educational facilities. Arrangements should be made for visits by an orthopaedic surgeon from a central hospital, and for the reception and treatment of selected children. If an orthopaedic hospital is not available, children can be sent to a recognised Hospital School, with periodic visits to the area by an orthopaedic surgeon. Other Defects Treated.-—In addition to tonsils and adenoids (7), and ringworm of the scalp (5), letters of recommendation were given for treat- ment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital of the following defects :—Ear disease and deafness 7, external eye diseases 4, hernia 4, circumcision i, dental treatment 2, other conditions 5. Co-operation of Teachers and Attendance Officers.—Close co-operation between the Teachers and the Medical Staff in all that concerns the physical welfare of the children is essential to the success of school medical work, and it is a pleasure to record the very cordial and valuable assistance, which results from the close relations which have been established in this area. In addition to the very important functions exercised by the Teachers in connection with the preparations for routine medical and dental inspection, they are assiduous in bringing forward special children who might otherwise escape notice, and often give valuable help in securing the provision of treatment in different cases. While, recognising the ready and valuable help received from the Teachers as a body, a special word of thanks is due to the older teachers who have been associated with the medical service in this County for a considerable time. The warmest thanks are due to them for their ready understanding of the difficulties'of medical work and their unfailing practical help. The assistance given by the Teachers generally also is not limited to school medical work, but is readily accorded in connection with other branches of public health work, and demonstrates their personal value as an influence in village life. The Attendance Officers can be, and are, of great assistance as sources of information in connection with medical work, especially with reference to children absent on alleged medical grounds, with regard to whom medical opinion is desirable. There is also a systematic interchange of information between tlie Education Secretary and School IMedical Officer regarding individual children when the special interests of both departments are involved. Physical Training.—During the year the Board of Education’s new issue of the pamphlet on physical instruction has been circulated to the schools. Special attention is also paid to breathing exercises. It would be difficult to over-estimate the importance of physical training, and it will be readily recognised that a child who is well trained in this respect will be more alert mentally and more capable of benehtting by the general educational curriculum. It is particularly important under present conditions that the physical instruction provided should be as efficient as possible, so as to counteract in many children the injurious effects of the indifferent housing conditions uneler which they live.