[Report 1918] / Medical Officer of Health, Coventry County & City.

  • Coventry (England). County and City Council.
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1918] / Medical Officer of Health, Coventry County & City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    are most capable of perfornun}^ self-supportiny out-door work. We think that this movement should be watched, and that it would be desirable to obtain first-hand information concernin}^ existing' colonies on the spot before the establishment of such a colony should be attempted or even thought of. It might, however, be feasible to begin an experiment of this nature on a small scale in connection with the Bramcote Sana- torium. This could, we think, be done without much expense and without much supplementing of the existing staff. In fact, every sanatorium should have available some facilities for giving useful employment, affording the requisite exercise, for patients. The earlier the type of illness the more requisite is this exercise. It is true that light exercise can be obtained by graduated walks; heavier exercise could be obtained by wheeling barrows with graduated weights. Both of these forms of exercise pall in interest, and as they are devoid of any usefulness they lack features essential to the moral and mental refreshment and recrea- tion of the patients. This can best be afforded by some useful form of work. This should be carefullv graduated work, carried out under medical supervision. The scheming of such work affords much opportunity for an ingenious imagination. Practically all patients, male and female, who can do any work at all, can do something in the way of gardening, from light work like weeding to the heavier forms of labour. This has the advantage of being open-air employment. Under proper guid- ance the patients would soon interest themselves by seeing that they were transforming the present unkempt grounds into a pleasure garden. The area available can be enlarged, and a useful kitchen garden ought to be the result of the combined efforts of the patients. The occasional painting- of the shelters would afford some occupation, and l)e useful. .A.n open-air workshop would be valuable; skilled patients could be employed at occupations, for strictly limited hours, which would combine interest with utility. New shelters could be made on the spot. The employment of some skilled organiser, perhaps an ex-patient, to supervise and instruct in manual training might be well considered by the Com- mittee as a useful adjunct to the sanatorium. .'Vny such steps would help to abolish the somewhat prevalent idea that a stay in a sanatorium is a sort of picnic, and we believe