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The Ophthalmic service for the last two years has shown a great
expansion and in order to meet this we have had to establish two extra sessions
every fortnight. It would, however, be desirable for an orthoptic department
to be established in association with this in order to relieve many of the
minor conditions associated with errors of refraction.
The Aural Clinic continues to give great satisfaction especially in those
conditions that are allied to diseased tonsils and adenoids. A greater degree
of examination and consequently a greater degree of treatment helps to restore
the child to normal health more rapidly.
The Open Air School continues its good work. One wonders why
authorities have been so long without Open Air Schools, and why more of
them are not established in order to afford a wider and more thorough
restoration to health of even the slightly abnormal. The Headmaster and his
Staff are enthusiastic in the work they are doing, and consequently the work
left for the Medical Department becomes easier and more easily accomplished.
The popularity of this school is now well-known in the district. Formerly,
when it was first opened, we had great difficulty in getting parents to allow
their children to go to the School. Now we have an equal difficulty in getting
them to leave.
The mentally sub-normal children in the district are presenting quite a
problem. A number of borderline cases of educationally sub-normal children
are causing difficulties mainly because of the overcrowded nature of the classes
in school. Sufficient attention cannot be given to these cases, as the particular
types of teacher is not available, and it would appear that it will be some time
before they are. Special attention to the education of such children (I.Q. 70-85)
in special classes in the ordinary schools can bring tremendous benefit to the
children in this category. It is our duty in the Medical Department to discover
and classify these children. Having done so it oftentimes is a year or more
before they are admitted to the Special School. This is due to the lack of
accommodation in the School itself. The benefits to such children are very
well established, and to anyone in doubt about the conditions, both of health
and education to the pupils of this school, should visit the premises particularly
when the school is in session. The improvement in most of the children's
outlook is very marked indeed. Some, however, are perturbed when their
friends outside can leave school at the age of 15 and they cannot. A good
deal of the burden of the Special School can be eased by the establishment of
special classes in the ordinary schools for the education of some of these
children. The borderline cases present a great difficulty which I hope will
soon receive attention to a greater degree than at present.
The Rheumatic Clinic seems to be steadily finding its own sphere. The
help and assistance to parents is undoubtedly beneficial, and in many instances
the pupil is saved unnecessary worry at school by a timely diagnosis. There
should, however, be some form of treatment associated with the clinic,
particularly of a hospital nature. This would be exercised if "Rheumatism"
were made a notifiable disease and reports went to the private practitioner
concerning the child.
We are very pleased indeed to see the good progress, and better still
the good results, obtained in our Orthodontic Clinic. We are doubly proud
of this fact because the clinic was started during the early years of the War,
when it was difficult to obtain appliances and to achieve continuous treatment
on account of evacuation. Nevertheless the parents perceive the good results,
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