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4 per cent. attended the medical inspection clinic complaining
of defective vision. Thus approximately 6 per
cent. of all children examined show defective vision.
The correction of this defect is one of the most
important branches of the School Medical Service, and
a reference to Table IV., Group II., will indicate the
work of the Vision Clinic. A Clinic is held once a week,
but this is not adequate to deal with the cases. Two
hundred and two individual children actually attended
this Clinic during the year, but as each child requires
at least two attendances before being fitted with glasses,
one session per week has become inadequate. At the
end of the year there were 67 cases awaiting refraction.
Co-operation is maintained with the London Eye Hospitals
and special cases, such as congenital cataract,
ptosis or severe squint are referred for operative treatment.
The high myopics, of whom there were five
during the year, are referred to schools allocated for
this special purpose, and the maintenance of these
children charged to the Education Committee. Three
children are maintained at residential schools for the
blind.
Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic.
There was an increase in acute otitis media during
the year as a consequence of influenzal infection. Most
of these cases responded to routine treatment at the
School Clinic, but as will be seen from the Specialist's
report on the work of the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic,
some of these cases required operative interference. Far
too many of these cases arrive at the Clinic too late for
preventive surgical treatment, and many of them will
suffer from slight impairment of hearing. No use has
so far been made of the audiometer which has proved
so valuable in the discovery of the partially deaf children
attending school.
Of the children examined during the year at school
medical inspections, 17 per cent. showed enlargement of
tonsils and adenoids. This is an increase over the
previous years, when the average has been 12 per cent.
It has become a popular belief and practice that all