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80
There is a steady drift year by year of children from the voluntary hospitals
to the treatment centres. This movement is accounted for partially by the popularity
of the treatment centres, but still more by the policy of some of the hospitals who
seek to relieve the pressure on their out-patient departments by diverting children
who apply to them for treatment to the Council's centres.
Thus, for instance, taking at random the year 1919 for comparison with the year
1926, in the former year 14.3 per cent. of total refractions were done at hospitals outside
the scheme, while in the latter year 11.4 per cent. only were so done. Similarly with
operations for tonsils and adenoids, in 1919 of all operations 24.3 per cent. were carried
out at voluntary hospitals while in 1926 only 17.6 per cent. were credited to these.
Taking again the same two years for comparison in the effectiveness of following
up: the proportion of children at first reinspections found to have neglected to get
treatment for defective vision was 42.6 per cent. in 1919 as against 36.9 per cent.
in 1926; the proportion who had failed to get treatment for tonsils and adenoids in
1919 was 46.3 as against 41.7 in 1926; for dental decay neglect to obtain treatment
was found in 52.2 per cent. in 1919 as against 53.1 per cent. in 1926. Here, again,
we see how much harder it is to persuade parents to obtain dental treatment than
anything else.