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examinations. They amount to 0.9 per cent. among routine cases.
One case of Ringworm of the scalp and 2 cases of Ringworm of the
body were met with during the year.
(e) Eye Diseases.—These diseases chiefly comprising Blepharitis,
Conjunctivitis and styes, either indicate faulty personal
hygiene or some error in refraction. They form a very important
section of the minor ailments found in school children. Table II
gives the findings under the respective heads. They amount to
13 among routine and special cases.
(f) Vision and Squint.—105 cases of defective vision were
found and 9 cases of Squint, 92 and 8 cases respectively being
referred for treatment. This gives 4.4 per cent. requiring treatment.
(g) Ear Disease.—Defective hearing is measured by means
of the whisper test at 20 feet. 3 children, or 0.1 per cent., were
found to be deaf, while 21 or 0.9 per cent., suffered from ear disease,
the latter generally having discharging ears and a certain amount
of deafness in consequence. Defective hearing is either due to wax
or middle ear disease which is much more untractable, a third
and very common cause of defective hearing being adenoids, the
removal of which usually cures the deafness.
The prevalence of ear disease among entrants amounted to
1.1 per cent.
(h) Tonsils and Adenoids.—443 children, or 19.6 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, 181 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 thereof according to means.
It will be noted that the total number of children in whom a
diagnosis of enlarged tonsils and adenoids was made was 443 this
year as against 357 for the previous year, i.e., 19.6 per cent. of those
examined as against 12.9 per cent. for the previous year.