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Inspection and 116 at the School Clinic. These figures have been
reduced to 2 cases discovered at Medical Inspection and 3 at the
School Clinic.
In the same way the total number of cases of Impetigo or
.sores have been reduced from 40 at Medical Inspection to 13
and from 546 at the School Clinic to 243. Apart from the effect
on the health of the children the saving in school attendances must
have been very considerable.
(e) External Eye Disease.— 12 cases of Blepharitis, i.e.,
inflamed eyelids, and 8 cases of Conjunctivitis were discovered.
(f) Vision.— 543 children (or 13.5 per cent. of those examined)
were found to be suffering from vision so defective or from such
symptoms as headache, etc., as to require treatment. Further
particulars of these cases will be found on page 89.
(g) Ear Disease and Hearing.—11 children (or .2 per cent. of
those examined) were found to be suffering from defective hearing.
The cause in most of these cases was wax in the ear. 8 children
were found suffering from a discharge from the ear, due to an
old otitis media.
In response to an inquiry made of the Head Teachers, the
names of 302 children suffering, or who have suffered, from discharging
ears or defective hearing have been referred to me for
examination. These figures accentuate the need of the appointment
of a Nose, Throat and Ear Surgeon, who could give the
same attention to the ears of the school children as is now given
by the Oculist to their vision.
(h) Dental Defects.— 323 (or 8.6 per cent. of those examined)
were found to be suffering from teeth so defective as to impair
health. These cases were referred to the School Dentist for treatment.
A more complete inspection of the teeth of the children
is carried out by the Dentist, a summary of the results of which
appears on page 111, Table IV. (Group IV.).