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82
EAR DISEASE.—Twenty-three children, or 1.03 per cent.
were fouud to be deaf, while 40, or 2.0(i per cent. suffered from
ear disease, the latter generally having discharging ears, and a
certain amount of deafness in consequence. Otorrhoae, although
essentially a chronic condition, usually exhibits signs of improvement
on treatment, but little can usuaily be done to restore hearing
to normal. It is well known that several chronic conditions,
more especially those affecting the middle ear, frequently originate
in and are maintained by septic conditions of the nose and throat
uch as enlarged tonsils and adenoids, treatment of the
atter being usually one of the most effective steps of dealing
with the trouble. In all cases the dictum of " prevention being
better than cure " should be practiced as far as possible.
DENIAL DEFECTS.—As all children are annually inspected
by the dental surgeon, a regular inspection of the teeth, except
in special cases is not generally undertaken as part of routine medical
inspection in every instance, although special cases brought to
the notice of the Medical Officer are where necessary seen and
referred to the dental surgeon for treatment. Consequent upon
the retirement of Mr. Hick at the end of December, the whole
question of dental inspection and treatment was reviewed by a
special Committee of the Council, composed of members of the
Education and Public Health Committees, who, with the approval
of the Board of Education and Ministry of Health, proceeded to
the appointment of a full time dentist, who would thus cope more
effectively in future with the combined question of dental treatment
in school children and expectant and nursing mothers, Mr.
Dawe, as already mentioned, being appointed to the vacancy.
During the year the school dentist paid visits to schools and inspected
all the age groups in attendance. The extent to which
dental disease is prevalent is shown by the fact that of a total of
4,483 children, 3,052, or 68.07 per cent. were found to require
treatment, of which numbers, however, only 1,181, or 38.69 per
cent. actually accepted treatment. Had the full number of children
referred for treatment actually been treated, the school
dentist could not have fully coped with the question in his allotted
sessions, it being now generally recognised that a school popula-