[Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Dudley County Borough.
- Dudley (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1958
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Dudley County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![All children leaving school wore exaninod and advised in the light of their known medical histories as to any types of work for which they night have been found to he unsuitahlo and good liaison was maintained with the Youth Employment Offieer in this respoot- Open Air School As lias been the praolicc for a number of years now, plaoes v;ere again reserved at the Malvern 0])en Air School for Dudley children in sub-normal hea,lth'and 1^; children w re sent each tern during 1958, for a period of three monthso Every care is erkor. j.n the selection of these children., v/hich is pursued throughout the year.. Dui'ing 1958, the names of 103 children were on the v/aiting list for a period rl, rh.e Open Air School.. Every effort is made to send only those who arc really Iv need of a cha.nge from the health and environment point of viev/.. Hot irfrcTacntly help is required v^/ith clothing and shoes from voluntary organisi.tioiito V/ith very fov; exceptions these childron return very much improved in health- They look fi't and happy a.n’d a. 11 put on weighto To is not uriusuar for the childron themselves to request a further period a.t the school. The following uable shows the average gain in weightt- June September December Boys ■ 9S lbs. 10 lbs. 9f lb Girls iOA lbs. 10-|- lb Sc 11 lb Astley Surf Cam'i The camp, 'daich is under the control of the Education Committee,‘is situated in open country not far from the rivor Severn near Stourport. Throughout the s.xmior nonths, each v/cok from. Mond.o-y to Fridrcy 60 boys or 60 girls, go to the camp'accompanied by teachers^ Weather permitting,classes are held In the epen air,. All these children are examined by School Medical Officers prior to going to the camp as to their freedom from infectious diseases and general fitness for camp life. Rotary Eoys* i'3;•;c_ston Suner-Mo.re V/e a,rc indol.--,00 to the Dudley Rotary Club for generously providing a free fortnight''r nr.ii,qay for Dudley sclioolboys at V/eston-Super-Marc., Children are referred by RcoJ'Teac'norS; General Practitioners, School burses, etc., a'd those childron selected and eianrtincd by the School Mcdico.l Officer are convalescent or c.cbilit.ated children whose parents would not be able otherwise to provide then, .vith a recir',orative holido.y. Good food a,nd regule.r hours do much to restore them to ncrn,al hc-alth .and vigour. Travelling expenses, clothes o„nd shoes present a problem to some parents, but voluntary erga,ni sat ions assist whenever possfble in this respect, 22 boys greatly profited from this two weeks' holiday in 1958.- V/ork of the School Ir.,'rscs The majority of-nursc.c engaged on school work are also Health Visitors and this is one of the nest valuable features of the service. The nurse- acting in the capacity of Hee.lth Visitor has, in the child's pre-school days, become a trusted advisor to tho fojaily in ma,tters affecting health and liygiene and is ful'ly conversant with the child's hone background before I:.*- enters school; this contin”ity of supca-vision is vitalto the cfficioncy of the service, 31)363 head 3nsp;ctionc v/ere carried out during the year, and the necessary steps v/ere taken to ensure that the 2.4?^ of children found infested were cleansed. The great majority of infestations are of minor degree; severe and recurrent infestation i-s usually found to be a family affair. During 1958 the school nur.ses generally made frequent visits to houses of repeated -34-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29171234_0038.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
