[Report 1950] / School Medical Officer of Health, Salford.

  • Salford (England). Council.
Date:
1950
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1950] / School Medical Officer of Health, Salford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    by a school dental service, apart from the immediate relief of pain, probably none is so much appreciated as the orthodontic service. The demands for such treatment can only be met, however, in a very partial measure. Nearly all appliances are of the fixed stainless steel variety and during the year 54 appliances were fitted and 225 visits were made by children. The purchase of an X-ray unit will be of considerable advantage for diagnostic purposes as well as giving facilities for checking progress at various stages of treatment. Foot Health Clinic. Mr. Franklin Charlesworth, F.Ch.S., reports :— There is nothing more fascinating than the supple and graceful feet of a healthy child. The symmetry and beauty of their graceful contours are the delight of every mother. If children born with sound, healthy feet could be kept without shoes and brought up in an environment of springy turf and soft sands during their pre-school years, their structural and postural stability would be assured, provided that on commencing to wear shoes they were based upon sound anatomical and physiological principles. The environment of the modern child, however, is one of hard unyielding wooden floors and later stone or concrete pavements and roads, which have made it necessary to protect and support the feet against these harsh non¬ resident surfaces. In spite of the uncompromising condition of our modern environment it is possible to keep the feet of the child sound and healthy by proper attention to foot hygiene and the fitting of appropriate footwear at an early age. The proper care of the feet involves only a few very simple rules. The feet should be washed regularly and dried thoroughly, particular attention being paid to between the toes, a little talcum powder sprinkled in the interdigital surfaces and dusted over the feet will ensure the absorption of surplus moisture. Proper trimming of the nails is important. Faulty nail trimming is frequently responsible for the development of troublesome defects. The toe nails should be trimmed straight across and not rounded or cut away at the corners. The grooves of the nails should not be probed with sharp instruments such as pointed scissors, as this may result in piercing the tissues with a consequential inflammation or a possible infection. Socks should receive careful consideration. Tight socks are frequently responsible for minor deformities of the toes and even structural weakness in the feet due to impairment of the proper functioning of muscles. In the process of washing woollen socks tend to shrink, particularly so if very hot water is used. Excessive shrinkage in this way quickly make a pair of socks, originally adequate in size, much too small for the child to wear without injurious effect to the feet. A liberal amount of surplus material in the toes of socks is necessary to allow for normal shrinkage and the creeping back of the socks when the shoes are pulled on to the feet. Rough darning, seams and holes may result in blisters, abrasions or even corns. The structure of the feet of young children are simple and the joints very mobile. For this reason, in the case of children under 2\ years of age, it is advisable to fit boots rather than shoes. The footwear can be secured more firmly to the feet, holding the floor of the shoe in close contact to the sole of