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111
Tuberculosis.
The closest co-operation exists between the School Medical
Service and the Tuberculosis Dispensary. The advice of the
Asst. M.O.H. for Tuberculosis is sought in regard to every case or
every suspected case of the disease found by school medical inspectors
amongst children attending school. 72 Children were in
this way referred to the Tuberculosis Officer for corroborative
diagnosis and subsequent treatment or disposal. Out of this
number, 3 were found after a period of observation to have no
signs of the disease. In addition, 26 children of school age were
referred to the Dispensary from other sources and 130 contacts of
the disease examined. The total number of attendances at the
Dispensary of children of school age during the year amounted
to 3,422.
The question of exclusion from attendance at school is left to
the discretion of the Tuberculosis Officer, who arranges for sanatorium
or hospital treatment when necessary and prescribes milk,
cod liver oil, and drugs which are supplied from the Dispensary.
A most important part of the treatment is the advice given to
parents of tuberculous children with the object of ensuring as far
as possible the maintenance of proper hygienic treatment in the
homes. Health Visitors visit the homes to encourage and advise
the parents in this respect.
Children who have been under treatment at the Dispensary
and in whom the disease has been arrested are referred back to the
School Medical Officer, who arranges for their examination from
time to time at the inspection clinic and supervises their after-care.
Vision and External Eye Diseases.
The Eye Clinic continued to be held two mornings weekly at
the Town Hall. The total number of children examined for refraction
errors was 574, and the total number of attendances at the
clinic 1,329. Cases of external eye disease, such as conjunctivitis,
blepharitis, corneal ulcers, are seen in the first instance at
the minor ailments clinic and when necessary referred for more
specialist treatment to the ophthalmic surgeon.
Spectacles are not provided, but parents may obtain glasses
at reduced rates from an optician in the town, or free in certain
cases which are referred for assistance to the After-Care Committee.
A summary of the treatment of visual defect is given in Table
IV. (B), Appendix A.