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myopic children to myope classes or schools, where they were
educated by special methods designed to relieve the eyes as much
as possible from strain which was believed to be an important
factor in the cause and increase of myopia. Such a special school
was formed in Wood Green and children from surrounding boroughs
were admitted. The highest number of Hornsey children in attendance
at Wood Green Myope school was 17 in 1928. Since that
year the number has diminished rapidly until to-day there is only one.
This does not mean a reduction in the incidence of myopia in
Hornsey school children, but a change in outlook on the education
of the myope.
There are two schools of thought on the subject:—
(1) One school believes that the close work of reading,
writing, sewing, etc., is an important factor in the progress of
myopia.
(2) The other school regards myopia as an inherited condition
which progresses to a certain degree of myopia, little influenced
by writing, reading, posture or other factors of normal school life.
The reduction in the number of Hornsey children attending
the Special Myope School is based upon the teaching of the latter
school. Educational progress is not so rapid in a myope school as
in an ordinary elementary school, and it is a serious matter for the
myope if by attending a special school he is gaining little or nothing
in the direction of sight-saving and losing heavily in the way of
education.
This reduction in the number of Hornsey myopes at the Myopic
School has been effected by some of the children reaching schoolleaving
age and others have been readmitted to elementary schools
in the borough. These children have been kept under careful halfyearly
examination (more frequent examination in some cases of
this was considered necessary), by Dr. J. Smedly Boden, the school
oculist. He informs me that in no case has he observed damage
to the eyes from return to normal school life. Teachers have
informed me of the rapid progress educationally which has resulted
from these transfers from special to ordinary school.