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22
Eye defects
Ringworm.
Minor
ailments.
Ear, nose
and throat.
Ionisation.
Divisional
statistics,
otorrhoea
cases and
deaf cases.
The total number of eye cases dealt with during the year was 44,686, compared
with 43,579 during the year 1930, an increase of 1,107. Approximately 42,000 were
cases suffering from errors of refraction, and during the year spectacles were ordered
in 30,151 cases ; in 27,939 of these spectacles were obtained, a percentage of 92-6.
It is gratifying again to be able to report that, owing to the gradual elimination
of the incidence of ringworm amongst the child population in London, it has been
possible to reduce still further the provision for the X-ray treatment of such cases.
During the year under review the total number of ringworm cases dealt with was
268, compared with 358 during the year 1930, and 1,703 during the year 1921.
Nursing treatment of children suffering from minor ailments was given in 101,391
cases during the year, an increase of 93 on the number dealt with during 1930.
During the year 20,703 children were treated in the ear, nose and throat departments,
an increase of 943 over the number dealt with in the preceding year. There
was a considerable congestion of cases awaiting treatment during the early part of
the year, and it was necessary to augment the number of beds for the children needing
operative treatment for enlarged tonsils and adenoids. This was accomplished by
utilising certain of the Council's general hospitals during the summer months, when
the normal reduction in the demand for accommodation rendered a number of beds
available. This has been very advantageous, as it is recognised that tonsil and adenoid
operations are better performed during the summer than the winter months.
Towards the latter part of the year there has been a remarkable falling off in the
number of cases found to require treatment, and, when it is remembered that during
the past decade well over 100,000 school children in London have had operations for
enlarged tonsils and adenoids, this experience is not surprising.
During the year 1931 the number of throat operations performed was 16,243,
compared with 16,215 during the year 1930.

The number for each year consists of those treated under the Council's scheme,
with the addition of those reported at re-inspections to have been treated by various
agencies outside the scheme. It will be seen that, of the present children leaving
school, at least one in five has had an operation for tonsils and adenoids, but that,
if the rate of operations during the past two years be maintained in the future, one
in every three of the children entering school at the present time will have had this
operation performed by the end of the elementary school life. This emphasises
the importance of endeavouring to elucidate the cause of adenoid growths.
Table II in the appendix shows the number of children treated in each year
since 1910.
The special work at the ear centres under the care of the Council's aurist, Mr.
A. G. Wells, and his eight assistants, has continued during the year. One new centre
at Somers Town was opened, making in all ten centres in various districts of London.
The eight assistant aurists attend at the centre and give to the work twenty-four
sessions per week between them.
The following is the substance of the report submitted by Mr. Wells :—
The following tables give the details of the work done in the special aural clinics for otorrhoea
and deaf cases respectively ; and these tables show the statistics for the separate divisions of
London :—