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101
With all the care that is taken to prevent injury to the
child's sight at school I am quite certain that much mischief
is brought about by the parents allowing young children to read
and do needlework by artificial light. When not under the
observation of the teacher, the attitude assumed while writing
or sewing is frequently prejudicial to the child's sight, and also
favours spinal deformities. I am very strongly of the opinion
that home lessons should not be given to the children until
they have reached the higher standards, and then only such
as can be easily finished in half-an-hour or so. If there is
the least suspicion of defective sight, or whenever it is thought
that the home conditions are unfavourable, home-work should
be absolutely forbidden.
PROVISION OF SPECTACLES.
Of the 48 children found with serious defect of vision
27 (=about 56 per cent.) wore spectacles at the time of
examination. Of 59 children advised to obtain eye treatment
on account of defective sight, or constant headaches (and including
revision of spectacles) 44 obtained it.
There appears to be no serious difficulty in getting
treatment at one or other of the special hospitals in town,
but it not infrequently happens that the parents cannot afford
to pay for the necessary spectacles. The Children's Care
Committee assist in such cases, and during the year five pairs
of spectacles were partly provided in this way.
It may not be out of place to here emphasise the great
importance of obtaining skilled medical treatment in all cases
of defective vision occurring among children. The function of
the optician should be to provide lenses which have been
prescribed by the medical oculist after a careful consideration
of all the circumstances of the individual case, and parents
are always advised accordingly.
external diseases of the eye.
Thirty-one children were suffering from external diseases
of the eye. Most of these were slight cases of conjunctivitis