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49
No record of the Ophthalmic Clinic would be complete without some reference
to children under 5 years of age. In them, squint and congenital disabilities are
chiefly found. It is especially desirable that these defects should be treated as
soon as they have become apparent. In cases of squint, the provision of glasses
prevents the development of a " lazy " eye. The youngest to be given spectacles
was eight months old. Congenital malformations often mimic inflammatory
diseases, such as incomplete development of the tear passages. In new-born
babies an acute ophthalmia is especially dangerous to sight, but if this disease is
treated early, complete recovery can be hoped for in every case.
Expectant mothers form a special series of cases. During pregnancy, headaches
are sometimes frequent. These may be due to simple eyestrain or they may
herald the onset of a toxaemia of pregnancy. It need hardly be pointed out how
necessary it is to differentiate between these two conditions, one mild and of no
great consequence, while the other is fraught with danger to life. The more severe
cases of toxaemia sometimes show the first signs of their gravity by affecting the
interior of the eyes. Hence in Barking, every expectant mother who complains
of headaches is sent to the Eye Clinic.