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107
The Minor Ailments Clinics also deal effectively with cases of minor diseases
of the skin such as impetigo, ringworm of the body scabies, and any other skin
disease which presents itself.
(d) Visual Defects and External Eye Disease.—Details of the findings at
routine and special inspections will be found on pages 146 and 147 of this Report.
Readers of this Report will have noted that there were 6,895 children
examined by routine inspection. Of these 6,088 were found to have normal vision
and the remaining 807 were referred for treatment for this defect. Of the total
number of children examined by routine inspection 99 per cent. were free from any
external eye disease and in the remaining 1 per cent. the majority were minor and
incidental inflammations, not likely to lead to any residual disability.
The chief value of examining eyes for visual defects and other diseases is to
compute how far education in school is favourable to eyesight, and how far it is
prejudicial to good vision.
With such a large floating population as we have in Barking, and the great
difficulties which we have experienced subsequent to the large increase in population,
it is not possible to give statistical evidence one way or another, but I have asked
your consulting ophthalmic surgeon to advise me should he find any evidence that
the environment of school-life is prejudicial to the maintenance of normal vision.
From such observations as I have been able to make, I have not, however, been able
to trace any detrimental effect of school-life on normal vision, but your ophthalmic
work is now being carried out much more thoroughly than heretofore, and future
reports will, I hope, be able to speak with assurance on this matter.
(e) Nose and Throat Defects.—Last year I was in the happy position to report
a reduction in the number of cases of tonsils and adenoids which routine
examinations found to need treatment.
This year your officers have examined a much larger number of children, and
there is an increase in the number of children requiring treatment and observation
for these defects, but I am in the happy position to be able to report further that
the 671 children found with such defects represent in proportion to the number
examined, a slight decrease to the previous year.