London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ilford 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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161
(b) Ophthalmic Department.—During the year 1935 the School
Oculist held 202 sessions for the refraction of children suffering
from defective vision (152 at Valentines and 50 at Mayesbrook).
Full details of the work are given in Table IV, Group II, on page
193.
2,664 attendances (1,897 at Valentines Clinic, 767 at Mayesbrook
Clinic) were made by 1,202 school children (972 at Valentines Clinic
230 at Mayesbrook Clinic), as compared with 1,059 school children
in 1934. 77 of the cases were referred for refraction in 1934.
Of the 1,202 cases, 517 were referred from medical inspection,
313 were referred from the School Clinic, 305 were "under observation,"
cases re-examined, 65 were re-examined at parents' request,
1 referred by the Director of Education and 1 by the Invalid Children's
Aid Association.
The 1,202 children were not all suffering from grave defects of vision.
The following table shows the vision in the worst eye, as tested by Snellen's Type:-
| 6/6 | 6/9 | 6/12 | 6/18 | 6/24 | 6/36 | 6/60 | 6/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 380 | 160 | 185 | 167 | 116 | 112 | 63 | 19 |
The children who saw 6/6 (practically normal vision) were suffering from
symptoms such as headaches, inflamed eyelids, etc., which rendered further
examination necessary.
Of the 1,202 children examined, 914 were found to require
spectacles, 424 being children who had previously had spectacles
and 490 (new cases) by reason of the following defects:—
Myopia 37
Myopic Astigmatism 54
Hypermetropia 82
Hypermetropic Astigmatism 211
Mixed Astigmatism 37
Anisometropia 29
Hypermetropia with Squint 40
Total 490