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22
Aural disease
and the acute
infectious
The influence of the acute infectious fevers on the production of aural disease
is shown by the high proportion of children who are deaf and partially deaf, in whom
the trouble can be traced originally to an attack of measles or scarlet fever. One
of the most important means therefore of preventing deafness and hardness of
hearing is the after-care of children when they are discharged from the fever
hospitals.
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 borough 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 children reported was 634, of whom 57 were
referred to Borough Councils or other local authorities. Of the children followed
up at school, 220 had two examinations during the year, of whom 178 were free from
otorrhoea on both occasions. Of 245 children who were examined once during the
year, 34 were found to be suffering from otorrhoea, and of 174 children whose second
examination only fell due during the year, 7 were found to have otorrhoea.
Spectacles
Spectacles for children in the elementary schools are not provided from the
rates, but parents are assisted by the voluntary London Central Spectacles Committee.
In 1938, 25,663 children were prescribed spectacles at the treatment centres and
hospitals, and 24,730 or 96.36 per cent. obtained them.
Medical and denial treatment
The work in connection with the medical and dental treatment of school children
has been continued during the year and the attendances of the children have on the
whole been very satisfactory. The attendances during the period of the international
crisis at the end of September and the beginning of October were naturally
reduced in number, and some of the activities of the centres, especially throat operations,
were abandoned for about a week.
The total numbers of hospitals and centres included in the scheme at the end of
the vear were 19 hospitals and 85 centres.

Eye defects
The number of children dealt with in the eye departments of the centres and
hospitals during the year was 37,359 compared with 37,341 during 1937.
The facilities for the treatment of children suffering from squint have been
continued at the following hospitals and centres during the year : Belgrave, Central
London Ophthalmic, Evelina, Guy's, King's College, Royal Eye and St. Mary's
hospitals, and Kilburn, Paddington, Streatham and Whitechapel centres. Special
orthoptic training of suitable cases has been undertaken at the Central London Ophthalmic,
Evelina, Guy's, King's College and St. Mary's hospitals and at the Kilburn,
Streatham and Whitechapel centres. At each of these the services of a specially
trained orthoptist are provided to assist the ophthalmic surgeon in examining the
children in order to obtain the proper functioning of the eyes. The number of
children treated during 1938 was 292, compared with 243 during the year 1937. The
number of children discharged, treatment having been completed, was 166 during
1938, compared with 155 during 1937.
Ear, nose
and throat
The number of children suffering from ear, nose and throat defects dealt with
during the year was 12,726, and 8,894 operations for the removal of enlarged tonsils
and adenoids were performed, compared with 13,592 and 9,251, respectively, during