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64
the Minor Ailments treated at the School Clinic. Group 2 gives
the number of children treated for defective vision and squint, and
the following report has been kindly written by Dr. Banham for
inclusion.
"The work of the Ophthalmic Clinic has been carried on
regularly during the year 1931. Three hundred and fifty-nine
children have been seen and advised, and 245 pairs of glasses supplied
In addition 10 children and one mother sent from the Welfare
Centres, have been treated and (impairs of glasses supplied. 8
Cases of external eye disease have been treated continuously, one
of these was sent to the special hospital at Swanley for 3 months,
and 2 cases of corneal ulceration were sent into the West Middlesex
Hospital as the home conditions were not satisfactory.
"This year the Report of a Committee of Inquiry into
Problems connected with defective vision in school children has
been received from the Board of Education. This gives the preliminary
findings of the special committee dealing with the factors
leading to the development of, and the aggravation of defective vision
in childhood. Steps were first taken to find out the normal refraction
at various ages of childhood and to establish a standard
of reference for each age-group and sex. The determination of this
should be of great practical value in the prevention of defective
eyesight in children, particularly in the formation of views concerning
the importance of ophthalmic investigation and treatment
of children of pre-school age.
"Approximately 200,000 cases of defective vision and squint
are treated every year among school children, and the necessity
is emphasized of early recognition of the abnormality and early
treatment to prevent the abnormality getting worse. It is true
also that some children with slightly defective vision may escape
examination by refraction, if they do not complain of eye-strain
and if the fault is not sufficient to cause any but a slight impairment
of vision. Thus a certain number of early and slight cases of
myopia may be missed until they have progressed to such a condilion
as to produce marked visual defect.
"The report goes on to state that there is thus " a strong
argument for modifying the present practice which governs ophthalmic
work in the schools."
"The ideal course would be that every child should have an
examination by retinoscopy instead of, as now, having its vision
tested. Thus refraction would become a regular part of routine