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54
importance. As time goes on such cases will be treated at a
much earlier stage in the disease, when the results will be correspondingly
better. Some idea of the scope of the Ear Clinic
may be gathered from the following figures:—
Number of Ear Cases examined 388
Number of Treatments for Ear Disease 2,363
Dental Defects.
(h) There is a full-time Dentist, who devotes four-fifths of his
time to the treatment of school children. Anaesthetics are administered
to certain selected cases during one session per week,
when the Assistant School Medical Officer attends for this purpose.
As will be seen from a perusal of the Dental Report, this work
is very far behind, and in future years its scope will have to be
considerably curtailed. The report of the Dental Officer is
appended. (See Dental Surgeon's Report, page 72.)
Crippling Defects and Orthopaedics,
(i) All cripple children are seen by the School Medical Officer
as "specials" during his visit to the school. Enquiries are made
regarding these cripple children, and where necessary they are
advised to seek treatment at one of the large general or orthopaedic
hospitals. In necessitous cases the Education Committee
may make a grant to defray the cost of special appliances for the
use of such cripple children provided these appliances are
approved by the School Medical Officer. There is no special provision
for the education of cripple children in the Borough, with
the exception of those able to attend an ordinary school. The
provision of a Physically Defective Centre has recently been under
consideration, and premises have been secured, but a large outlay
of money would be necessary to adapt and equip the building, and
this has not yet been sanctioned. (See also page 65, Census of
Cripples.)
9. OPEN-AIR EDUCATION.
Playground Classes.
(a) Classes are occasionally held in the playgrounds at some of
the schools, but there is no definite scheme in connection with
this. During fine weather the playgrounds are very largely occupied
with physical drill classes.