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(E) NOSE AND THROAT DEFECTS.—
The number of children suffering from defects of the nose and throat is
shown in Table II. at the end of this report. The defects are very carefully
assessed, such things being considered as the age of the child, interference
with function, and whether or not the condition is prejudicial to health. It
is only after this careful survey that a recommendation for operative treatment
is made.
The scheme for operative treatment remains as in previous years and
during the year 225 children were operated upon for tonsils or adenoids or
both.
There is a difference of medical opinion as to the advisability or otherwise,
of operative interference but of due care is taken in the selection of
cases, the benefit to health, both physical and mental is often most marked.
(F) EAR DISEASES AND DEFECTIVE HEARING.—
During the year 9 children were discovered to be suffering from defective
hearing but not of sufficiently serious a nature as to preclude their
being educated at a public elementary school, this Authority also maintains at
special schools 7 children whose degree of deafness is so serious as to totally
preclude their being so educated.
One of the most intractable defects with which one has to deal is ear
disdharge. This is often allied to a septic condition of tonsils and adenoids
and the removal of these sometimes effects a cure or a marked improvement
but there are many cases in which the condition of the tonsils or adenoids
does not justify operative interference and for such cases routine irrigation is
carried out and some of the more severe, referred to one or other of the ear,
nose and throat hospitals.
On the whole the treatment of these conditions cannot be regarded as
satisfactory and apart from the general lowering of health which a chronic
discharge of any kind gives rise to, there is the prospect of certain of the
children developing varying degrees of deafness in later life.
(G) DENTAL DEFECTS.—
All the children attending the public elementary schools are now included
in your scheme of dental inspection and treatment.
The ideal scheme is one where all children are examined at least once
every year and acceptances of treatment obtained in all cases where it is
necessary.