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62
Ear diseases
and hardness
of hearing.
One of the greatest gains resulting from the diminution of unhealthy throat
conditions is the corresponding reduction of the number of children suffering from
discharging ears. There were still 3,225 children in the age groups suffering from
discharging ears (or 1.6 per cent.), and although this is a lower number than was
formerly found, it is still, considering the serious results of these conditions, a number
that is too high to contemplate with equanimity.
1,572 children were found to be suffering from defect of hearing ; this is equivalent
to 0.8 per cent.; in this respect, too, the figures show a slight but steady improvement
year by year; the figure of 0.8 per cent. is lower than that recorded in any
previous survey.
Of the 135,227 children examined in the eight year and twelve year old groups,
14,075 (10 4 per cent.) were referred for refraction for visual defect.
Visual acuity

The heavier incidence of visual defects upon girls compared with boys is still
evident, and can only be ascribed to the difference in occupational pursuits followed
by the two sexes during childhood, both in and out of school. It is satisfactory to
note that the disparity between the sexes is tending to diminish, particularly at
the older age. It is one of the penalties of modern civilisation that there is no longer
a selective influence against myopia, so that short sight tends to become more
prevalent in the community. It is the opinion of ophthalmic surgeons that close
application to reading and other fine tasks like sewing in childhood intensifies this
tendency, and many children naturally predisposed to short sight suffer from undue
encouragement to devote themselves to tasks involving strain upon the eyes.
The energies of the school medical service are being consistently directed
towards modifying these tendencies and the arrangement by which children with
rapidly advancing myopia of high degree are shielded by education in special sightsaving
(myope) schools and classes, and children with lower degrees of visual defects
are permitted to attend elementary school for " oral teaching " only, or placed upon
"easy treatment" in regard to eyework, have contributed both to limiting the
damage done to vision by school life and to the nearer approximation of the incidence
of severe defect upon the two sexes.
Heart defects
and ansemia.
5,535 children were noted with cardiac defect, being 2.8 per cent. compared
with 2.9 per cent. in 1921, and 3.4 per cent. in both 1920 and 1919. 6,058 children
were also noted with ansemia (or 3.0 per cent.) compared with 37 per cent. in 1921,
and 4.1 per cent. in 1920. In both conditions, therefore, there is improvement.
Once more the special incidence of these defects of the circulatory system upon the
older girls is manifested in the figures.
Lung complaints.
7,151 children were marked with lung complaints (excluding tuberculosis).
This represents 3.6 per cent. as compared with 4.2 per cent. in the previous yeara
considerable improvement. By far the greatest share in the lung diseases found
is taken by the rickety bronchitis found in so many entrant infants, amongst whom
6.2 per cent. suffer from bronchitic catarrh, as against less than 2 per cent. of the
boys and girls at the older ages.