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99
Investigating the condition of 3,300 blind and partially sighted school children seen by him between
1904 and 1920 he found the following to be the causes of their condition:—
(1) Injury or destruction (surface)— Blind. Partially sighted.
(a) Ophthalmia neonatorum 299 68
(b) Purulent conjunctivitis of 69 21
later years
(c) Phlyctenular keratitis 66 176
(2) Inflammation within the eyeball or
optic nerve—
(а) Interstitial keratitis and iritis 284 129
(b) Disseminated choroiditis and 294 55
optic atrophy
(c) Injuries 29 14
Buphthalmia or congenital 17 3
glaucoma
Blind. Partially
sighted.
Macular defects 32 5
Congenital nystagmus 17 41
Double detachment of retina 2 -
Retinitis pigmentosa 34 5
(3) Congenital defects—
(a) Albinism 33 36
(b) Defects of the crystalline 170 78
lenses
(c) Varied defects of the globes 66 25
(4) High myopia 54 1,181
Mr. Harman finds that the percentage of cases of blindness certainly due to Venereal disease is
53.2 and that an additional 2.7 per cent are probably due to this cause. The relative frequency of the
condition has varied during the period of investigation but owing to the different constitution of the
blind school population at the beginning and at the end of the period it is impossible to set the facts out
in a comparable manner.
Year of investigation.
Total seen to date.
Cases of ophthalmia
neonatorum.
Cases of congenital
syphilis.
1904 255 94 48
1906 363 132 64
1913 1,100 268 343
1920 1,869 369 618
Between the earlier and later periods the proportion of cases of ophthalmia neonatorum fell
and those of congenital syphilis rose. This may be due to three factors:—
(1) The altered conditions of medical inspection. In the earlier period the arrangements
for medical inspection were less comprehensive. The children who then got most certainly to
the blind school were those who on being brought to an elementary school for admission were
rejected by the head teacher on account of bad sight, and thereon reported with a view to their
admission to a school for the blind. These children would be those blinded by congenital defects
or by ophthalmia neonatorum. Congenital syphilis does not begin to act in the majority of cases
until school age so that these cases would be on the school list marked "absent ill," and until
there were close arrangements between the attendance department and the medical officer little
was known of their conditions. Improved school and medical arrangements probably account
for the greater part of the increase of cases of this kind as between 1906 and 1913.
(2) There may have been an apparent increase due to better means of diagnosis. A real
diminution of cases of ophthalmia neonatorum may be responsible for some of the change.
(3) The difference between the returns of 1913 and 1920, is smaller, they have not been
subject to the influence of a revolution in school and medical arrangements.
In considering this report it may be taken that the war had little or no influence, for few of the
children born in 1915 appear in the list, while only one was born in 1916.
Mr. Harman presents no figures which might suggest the numbers brought to notice in each
year. If, however, the comparison be made of the difference in numbers seen in 1904 and 1906, with
the numbers admitted in the years 1916-1920, it appears as if the respective annual crops were, as to
ophthalmia 19 in 1904-1906, and 10 in 1916 1920, and as to congenital syphilis 8 in 1904-1906, and 22
in 1916-1920.
Mr. Yearsley has made an analysis of causes of deafness in 198 cases seen for the first time in
1920. These may be divided thus:—
Boys. Girls. Total.
Congenital 24 18 42
Acquired 66 69 135
Doubtful 12 9 21
102 96 198
The congenital cases were either instances of true hereditary deafness, or sporadic deaf-birth;
two were instances of congenital aphasia.
The acquired cases were due to the following causes:—
Boys. Girls. Totals.
Meningitis—
Epidemic cerebro-spinal 6 3 9
Measles 1 1 2
Scarlet fever 1 1 2
Pneumonia 0 1 1
Causes not ascertained 3 4 7
-11 -10 -21
Infectious diseases—
Scarlet fever (suppuration) 1 4 5
Measles (suppuration) 3 1 4
Measles (internal ear affection) 1 0 1
Pertussis (suppuration) 1 0 1
Influenza 0 1 1
- 6 - 6 -12
Boys. Girls. Totals.
Tubercle (suppuration) 0 1 1
Pneumonia (suppuration) 0 1 1
Congenital syphilis 6 6 12
-6-8 -14
Primary ear diseases—
Middle ear catarrh 23 15 38
Middle ear suppuration 19 24 43
Middle ear suppuration (results of) 1 1 2
Otosclerosis 0 2 2
-43 -42 -85
Injuries 0 3 3
-0 -3 -3
Totals 66 69 135
61004
0 2
Causes of
deafness.