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84
EXTERNAL EYE DISEASE.—Eight cases of blepharitis
were discovered and appropriately dealt with. Other forms of
external eye disease amounted to six cases of conjunctivitis.
VISION.—126 children, or 5.66 per cent. of those examined
at routine inspection, were found to be suffering from vision so
defective as to require treatment. Further particulars of these
cases will be found in tabular form on page 104. It is becoming
increasingly apparent that the prescribing of spectacles in most
of these cases—many of whom are myopes—although an important
detail, is secondary to that of preventing further increase in the
degree of defect present, a point remediable by attention to the
hygiene of the mouth and throat, and, as far as possible, by improvement
in the general hygienic environment of the home.
Higher degrees of myopia cannot with any degree of success be
dealt with in the ordinary elementary school class, or by the provision
of spectacles, a class or school, preferably of the residential
type, where special modification of the curriculum can be instituted,
being practically a necessity in all such cases.
CRIPPLING DEFECTS AND ORTHOPÆDICS.—The
existing need referred to in my last Annual Report for dealing with
this question has now been remedied by the establishment of a
Remedial Centre in conjunction with the cripple class at the
Special School, such provision being required both for cripples
attending this School and other defectives at ordinary schools
either unable to meet the expense of regular hospital attendance
in town, or who for some other reason have ceased regular
attendance thereat.
A complete Remedial Clinic has been formed in Barking
consisting of an Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr. B. Whitchurch-Howell,
F.R.C.S., Weymouth Street, W.1., who attends the centre one
session per month in order to examine cases and where suitable
refer them for operative treatment to Brookfield Orthopaedic Hos
pital, where he is a member of the honorary staff and has consequently
a certain proportion of beds at his disposal, or for
X-ray or other special examination, while cases requiring massage,