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"Two hundred and fifty had been mouth breathers before the
operation. One hundred and eighty-eight, or seventy-five per cent.,
had improved.
"Seventy-three had had one or more of the three ear affections
which I mentioned. Of these, fifty-nine, or rather more than eighty
per cent., had had no recurrence since the operation.
"These figures correspond closely with those of other observers,
such as Courtenay Yorke of Liverpool, Keen of Leicester, Wilkins
of Birmingham, and Tighe of Swansea. The main distinction
between this and the other investigations is that it has classified
symptoms rather than taken the cases as a whole. If the symptoms
be taken altogether, the percentage of improvement is eighty-four,
which correlates well with the eighty-seven per cent. in Birmingham
who 'unquestionably justified the treatment.' In the worst
series of results, those in the mouth-breathers, the percentage
of successes is seventy-five. An indication so constantly relieved
as that may be taken as genuine.
"Before leaving these figures, however, there remains one
very significant point. While the work was in progress, I received
the impression that children operated on in our own school clinic
benefited more than those dealt with privately. I have, therefore,
separated the two groups, with the following results:—
"1. Suspectibility to colds.
Of 206 children treated at the clinic, 89% were improved.
Of 147 treated in hospital or privately, 76% were improved.
2. Frequent sore throats.
Of 148 treated at the clinic, 97% were improved, the
remaining cases only yielding 85.5% of successes.
"3. Mouth breathing.
Here the disparity was more marked, the clinic curing 90%
of its cases and the hospitals only 53% of theirs.
"4. Ear affections.
The numbers here are smaller, but the clinic cured 97% of
36 and the hospitals only 64% of 37.
"It is extremely important to find the reasons for this discrepancy,
partly in order that the School Clinics may successfully
defend themselves against the criticisms which are constantly being
levelled against them by the opponents of State Medical Services