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203
Revert of the County Medical Officer—Education.
Of those examined 771 were boys and 889 girls, forming of the whole number 46-9 per cent, and
53.1 per cent, respectively. The greater incidence of eye defects amongst the girls extends to nearly
all varieties of conditions found. The preponderance of girls is not uniform in all the age groups, but
is well marked between the ages of 10 and 13, the eleventh year presenting the maximum difference.
Age incidence is unequal, consequent upon the arrangements for medical inspection at the
schools. At the earlier ages, 4, 5 and 6 years, only such children are sent for examination as have obvious
defects of the eyes, for example, squints and surface diseases. Among the higher ages there are two
peaks of high attendance, the eighth year, and the eleventh and twelfth years, which correspond to the
two medical inspections of the children at school after they have left the infant department.
Of the 1,670 cases analysed no less than 1,420 were found to be in difficulties on account of" errors
of refraction " without other defect. The balance of 250, or 19-17 per cent, were found to be suffering
from a large variety of diseased or abnormal conditions as the following table indicates :—
Variety of
eye
conditions.
Boys. Girls.
Surface diseases.
Blepharitis 44 38
Conjunctivitis 23 27
Trachoma 1 —
Xerosis — 1
Corneal ulcers 24 33
Herpes ophthalmicus 1 1
93 100 193
Injuries 5 3 8
Congenital defects.
Dermoids 2 3
„ of lids and muscles 2 2
„ of iris 1 1
„ of macula (and congenital
nystagmus 3 —
Albinism 1 2
Lens opacities and cataract 6 4
Dislocated lenses — 1
15 13 28
Effects of Ophthalmia Neonatorum (not bad
enough for blind school) 2 2 4
General disease, interstitial keratitis, iritis,
disseminated choroiditis—
Congenital syphilis 6 2
Optic atrophy 1 —
7 2 9
Retinitis pigmentosa (of these one only had
a bad pedigree) 1 3 4
Habit spasm, blinding, etc. 4 — 4
250—19-17%

The varieties of squint were as follows:—
Convergent 166
„ alternating 16
„ associated with scarred cornæ 6
„ fundus disease. 1
„ congenital defect 1
„ hydrocephalus 1
191
Divergent 8
199=14 per cent.
18820 cc 2