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90
L. eye 6/18 corresponding roughly to a deficiency of up to one-half
in visual acuity. More marked deficiency was classed as 'severe
amblyopia.' Of the 54 cases who could read, 18 showed no
amblyopia and 36 had it in a greater or less degree, the largest
group, over one-third of the whole, being in the severe class.
"Amblyopia shows no increase of incidence with increase in
age. This is in accordance with experience, since it may develop
in a severe degree within a few months of the onset of the squint,
and squint usually occurs in early childhood.
"Amblyopia, moreover, is incurable. Operation may improve
the appearance of the squinting eye but it can never restore its
sight. The only treatment that is of any avail is early correction
of the refractive error immediately the squint appears. If this be
done, the risk of amblyopia is very much reduced. And the necessity
for it is shown by the fact that two-thirds of the squinting
children of Ealing have partially lost the sight of the offending eye.
"No child is too young for examination and treatment.
Seven of two years old and a similar number aged 3 years have been
examined in 1932. Occasionally a child may be refractory on its
first visit to the Centre but if brought again it soon loses its fears.
Yet the fear of parents that their child is too young, the hope that
it may grow out of the defect or failure to realise the serious harm
that may result from squint keeps children away from treatment
at the only time when it is likely to be of use. In the next table
are shown the relative numbers of cases referred by the Welfare
Centres and by the schools. Of 41 new cases, no fewer than 30
had to wait for treatment until they went to school, shortly before
or shortly after their fifth birthday, while one or two were not seen
till much later. On the other hand the eleven new cases which
were sent by the Welfare Centres show a gratifying increase in
numbers on the previous year's figures and suggest that the dangers
of squint are being more generally recognised, though still not
generally enough.
"It is of the highest importance that the public should be
made thoroughly aware of these three vital facts—that a squinting
child will probably lose the sight of one eye if untreated, that
treatment, to be effective, must be immediate and that no child
is too young to be dealt with."