London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Dagenham 1957

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]

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SPECIALIST SERVICES
OPHTHALMOLOGY
Defective Vision
Ophthalmic clinic sessions are held at the Essex County Council Clinic, Becontree
Avenue, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Ophthalmologists are provided by the
Regional Hospital Board and a school nurse attends each session. 102 sessions were
held during 1957, when 1,645 children attended. Children suffering from external and
other defects of the eye (excluding errors of refraction and squint) numbered 266, and
1,324 were suffering from errors of refraction (including squint). The number of
pupils for whom glasses were prescribed was 695. At periodic medical inspections 186
children were found to have defective vision and referred to the ophthalmologists, and
157 cases were found to require observation only. Children suffering from squint
numbered 23 and 22 from some other eye defect.
The following are extracts from the reports of the Ophthalmologists attending the
clinic.
Of the total (1,645) children attending in 1957, 392 attended the clinic for the first
time. The number of children seen at each session varies greatly. This year there
was a marked decline of attendances during the influenza epidemic in October and
November—thus in some instances 25 or more children were seen during one session,
and sometimes as few as 12—14. The average attendance is 16.
The majority of cases are referred to the clinic by the school medical officer or by
the school nurse and a fair number by the infant welfare clinics. There are also some
cases sent in by the family doctor and in some instances parents came with their children
on their own initiative. The type of cases seen comprise:
1. Congenital abnormalities such as nystagmus, coloboma, cataracts, various types
of paresis of the extra-ocular muscles.
2. Birth traumata (Abducens paresis)
3. Traumata.
4. Inflammatory conditions.
5. Refractive errors.
6. Squints.
The vast majority of cases are those with refractive errors.
The second largest group of ocular abnormalities in our patients are the squints.
Here, our therapeutic endeavour is twofold; a good cosmetic result and the achievement
of the normal physiological function of both eyes with normal visual acuity and binocular
vision. The treatment thus comprises the correction of refractive errors if present,
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