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An arrangement has been made whereby notification is received of children
who have suffered from ear discharge while in a fever hospital. The names of
infants under school age are sent to the local medical officers of health for the
necessary action, while children of school age are examined by the school doctors
at intervals of six months, until at two consecutive examinations no symptoms of
the disease are found. The number of cases reported was 403, of which 132 were
forwarded to Borough Councils or other local authorities. Of the cases followed
up at school, 22 were found on the first examination to have otorrhoea, and of the
cases seen at second examinations the condition persisted in eighteen. All the cases
not cleared up are being kept under observation.
In view of the importance of this procedure, efforts were made to secure fuller
notification of cases. That these were successful is shown by the fact that the
number of notifications from the isolation hospitals was in 1934 more than double
that of the previous year, but the large increase was chiefly in children below school
age who were therefore not under the school care organisation. During 1935 still
fuller co-ordination has been effected with the isolation hospitals whose superintendents,
from 1st January, 1936, will forward to the school medical officer
particulars on discharge of all school children, who have been admitted, not merely
those who suffer from discharging ears.
Medical and dental treatment.
The Council's scheme for the medical and dental treatment of children attending
public elementary schools, scholars and pupils attending secondary, trade and day
continuation schools, and pupils at certain evening institutes, has proceeded on the
usual lines, and the attendance of patients has been satisfactory. It is to be noted
that the total number of children treated has increased compared with the year 1934,
in spite of the fall in the school roll and the additional school holidays during the
festivities associated with the late King's Jubilee. This is due in the main to
intensified following-up. The following table shows the number of school children
treated each year under the scheme from 1924 to 1935 :—

*Includes 11,876 "nurses" cases. t Includes 13,087 "nurses" cases. {Includes 14.537
" nurses " cases. Prior to 1933 " nurses " cases were not included in the return.
The number of hospitals and centres under the scheme remains at 17 hospitals
and 74 centres. At these hospitals and centres the work is undertaken by the
hospital committees and local centre committees under agreement or arrangement
with the Council. In addition, there are two centres which are organised and
managed directly by the Council, viz., the special in-patient centre at the Cyril
Henry centre, Woolwich, and the dental centre for the resident children at the King's
Canadian camo school, Bushy park.
Eye defects.
The large majority of cases dealt with in the eye departments are those needing
correction for errors of refraction. At certain of the hospitals special provision
has been made for dealing with external diseases of the eye, whilst at most of the