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138
minor and we have not come across other than very few cases which
have not responded readily to treatment.
Vision.— The treatment of defective vision shows an increase
from 103 in 1929 to 138 in 1930.
As for last year, this treatment is carried out by one of your
medical officers at the East Street Clinic, and the increased work
done not only represents increased school population but represents
an increased interest in the care of the eyesight by all those who
are responsible for the welfare of the children.
Ear Disease.—The treatment carried out at your clinic is the
ordinary medical treatment and a large number of ears respond
readily to this treatment, but there are a few where the cause of the
trouble is deep seated and the treatment more specialised than that
which can be carried out at an ordinary Minor Ailment Clinic.
Once again I advise you to entertain the possibility of appointing
a special aural surgeon, who would attend in the first instance,
say once a month during term time.
Dental Defects.—The treatment of dental defects is dealt with
specially in a part of this report prepared by Mr. Foy, the dental
surgeon.
It does seem an enormous pity that the public will not take
seriously professional appointments made by their own public
authorities.
No professional public man or woman in practice could make
a success of life, do what is right by his patients, and live an economic
life if his patients constantly failed to keep appointments. This,
however, is what happens at public consultation centres. For
instance, we feel ourselves working about an average when anything
up to two-thirds of the appointments turn up. The result is that
we are torn between two difficulties. On the one hand, a reasonable
number of patients are asked to attend, and the service is