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As many as 1,190 of the 1,408 children suffering from minor
ailments, or 84.5 per cent., were treated at the Health Centres
and only 218, or 15.5 per cent., were treated by private practitioners
or at hospitals. The total attendances at the Health Centres
for the daily treatment of minor ailments were as follows :—
Impetigo 2,587
Ear Cases 1,055
Eye Cases 2,076
Ringworm 115
Scabies 145
Eczema 139
Minor Injuries 1,184
Others 4,258
Total 11,559
(b) External Eye Disease.—The number of children
referred for treatment of external eye diseases was 178, of whom
144 were treated at the Health Centres.
(c) Defective Vision.—The report of the School Oculist,
Dr. J. D. Kershaw, is here submitted:—
" During the year 1933, 887 cases attended the Health Centre
for examination by the Oculist, making a total number of 2,586
attendances. Spectacles were prescribed in 747 cases, the remainder
either requiring none or needing no change in spectacles previously
prescribed.
" The numbers show an increase in both new cases and reinspections
(12 in the former and 146 in the latter), a fact which is
highly gratifying since it means that the ideal of annual reexamination
in all cases and six-monthly re-examination in special
cases is being more closely approached. In addition, the waiting
list has been so reduced that a child referred for testing can be
examined within a few days of the defect being reported.
" There has been no alteration in the method of examinationAs
I mentioned last year, the three attendances made by each
patient render prescription more accurate and do not so increase
the demands on the staff as to cause any difficulty in coping with