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"Although the figures are small it would appear that the best results are obtained
from the Schwartz type of operation with muscle graft in the conservative group, and
with the muscle graft operation in the radical group.
"This is the first year an analysis of this nature has been made, but it is intended
to continue the plan in the future, and with greater numbers more evidence will be
available.
After-Care
Clinic.
The after-care clinic at Kentish Town is mainly concerned with the treatment
of children discharged from the Downs Hospital after ear operations. The following
particulars give some idea of the work done at this clinic last year:—
Total number of ionisations 1,870
„ „ dressings 2,652
,, ,, ultra-violet irradiations 477
Number of ears referred from Downs Hospital in 1930 187
„ „ „ „ 1929 and continuing treatment in
1930 53
240
Of these 139 ears were discharged from the clinic 'cured' ; _
71 were still under treatment at the end of 1930;
2 could not be traced;
8 were re-admitted to Downs Hospital for further operation.
The remainder either received treatment at the special aural centres, or else were healed
when discharged from the Downs Hospital.
The after-care clinic is also used for the purpose of examining and treating residential
school children and other special cases referred from head office, etc.
Residential
schools.
"Since the (Council has assumed control ot these schools it has been round that
many children suffering from otorrhœa and nasal and aural defects were receiving
unsuitable treatment or alternatively no treatment at all.
"Several of these institutions have been visited and many of the children
examined; 97 cases of discharging ears from these schools have attended the after-care
clinic for treatment.
"Of these 76 ears have been cured, 17 are still under treatment, and 4 were
referred to the Downs Hospital owing to mastoid disease. In addition to the
otorrhœa cases, 7 deaf children attended. Of these the hearing was restored
completely in 5 cases, while 2 are still under treatment."
Teeth.
Dr. A. Living
s ton.
There was an increase of about 10,000 in the number of children treated for
dental disease. Dr. Livingston, the Council's consulting dental surgeon, reports as
follows:—
" During the year 1930 the Council's inspecting dental surgeons found that
34.08 per cent, of the school children had completely healthy mouths and teeth,
this is the highest proportion of oral healthiness yet found and is 2 per cent, better
than the figure for 1929. The increased healthiness is specially notable in the
permanent teeth, treatable when the child comes under the dentist's care at school;
the temporary teeth are still too often found hopelessly decayed when the child is
first admitted. In this connection the Norwood Dental Centre may be cited where it
was found that the following fall in the numbers of permanent teeth extracted as
unsaveable in each thousand cases may be represented as follows:—
1928 for 1,000 children 390 permanent extractions.
1929 280
1930 „270
"If 1,000 children be examined, and the total dental and oral disease be
summed up, including gum inflammation, accumulated tartar, and other states as
well as the more frequent simple caries and the unsaveable teeth, the oral defectiveness
this year will be represented by the figure 4,079; this is the lowest representative
figure in our records, contrasting markedly with 4,200 three years ago, and over
8,000 in 1912.
"Turning to a more detailed review of the working of the Council's schemes, it
is satisfactory to record that the actual increase in new cases admitted to the centres
this year greatly exceeds the number expected under the local contracts, and 9,327