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are sent for and the Health Visitors make special calls to the
homes when required. This is most helpful to the general
efficiency of the Clinic.
The inclusion of infants and pre-school children, as now
arranged in the scheme of treatment for ear and nose defects,
is of the greatest importance. A considerable number of infants
and pre-school children were treated during the year for acute
ear disease and unhealthy nasal conditions and deficient nasal
respiration, etc. It is now well known that many of the cases
of chronic otorrhoea, defective nasal breathing, deafness,
diseased tonsils and adenoids met with among school children
and adults, had their origin in pre-school years. Their beginning
usually follows as a sequel to the common diseases of young
children, such as measles, the fevers, pneumonia, etc. The
seriousness of the condition is, too often, not fully appreciated
and is either neglected or inadequately treated, while it slowly
and steadily progresses to a chronic stage where only a drastic
method of treatment is now of any avail and this, even,
unfortunately, is not always successful.
The results of the early detection and efficient treatment
of ear and nose diseases in young children are most striking.
The great majority of those treated were cured and normal
conditions restored in a reasonable time. The effect is also
noticeable in the lesser number of those conditions being now
found in the school population. Believed of these devitalising
defects, the child's general health is improved and his mental
capacity for school work, which is undoubtedly affected by ear
disease and deafness and nasal respiratory insufficiency, is not
impaired.
The new French method of diastolisation for the treatment
of nasal conditions, such as rhinitis, nasal catarrh, early deafness,
nasal respiratory insufficiency, has been extensively used
during the year for both pre-school and school children. We
have found it very successful, easy to apply and fully justifies
the claims made for it by its inventor, l)r. Gautier, of Paris.
In addition to diastolisation proper, nasal vibratory massage
is also employed as complementary to diastolisation. It is
operated from an oscillator-vibrator machine, working off the