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(h) Ear Disease.—Ten children, or 0.4 per cent., were found
to he deaf, while 34, or 1.4 per cent., suffered from ear disease,
the latter generally having discharging ears and a certain amount
of deafness in consequence. Running ears still remain the most
intractable condition found amongst children at the Minor Ailments
Clinic, the condition being complicated in many cases with a
degree of deafness liable to piove of serious consequence in afterlife.
(i) Tonsils and Adenoids.—246 children, or 10.4 per cent.
of those examined, were found suffering from enlarged tonsils
or adenoids, or both, with such symptoms that it was found
necessary to refer them for treatment or further observation.
Of cases referred for treatment, 176 were found on re-inspection
to have been treated. As in former years arrangements existed
for the operative treatment of post-nasal growths at the Throat
Departments of St. Mary's Hospital, Plaistow, and Queen
Mary's Hospital, Stratford, parents contributing to the cost of
such treatment according to means.
The defects of the existing scheme as outlined in my report
for the previous year still remain except that home visits by the
school nurses to children operated upon are now paid on the
patient's return home. In certain cases children have been
brought home by ambulance after operation.
(j) Tuberculosis.—The total number of cases of tuberculosis
in school children notified to the Medical Officer of Health during
the year was 14. During the year 46 cases were referred to the
Tuberculosis Officer, of whom 3 were subsequently notified as
tuberculous. The total number of attendances by children of
school age at the Dispensary amounted to 484, while during the
year 5 children were recommended through the Essex County
Council for hospital or sanatorium treatment. Quiescent cases
of the disease were as in previous years admitted to the Open-air
School, Faircross, and numbered 32.