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to the Eye Clinic held once weekly. In addition those
children who have had glasses prescribed previously are
kept under regular periodic examination.
Table IV., Group II., gives detailed statistics of this
Clinic. In 1933, of the 357 children who attended, 130
were new cases requiring glasses.
It is not the practice to test for visual defect in the
young entrant to school other than for squint, which as
a rule is discovered and treated under the Maternity and
Child Welfare service. It is thus not until seven years
of age that the child comes under routine visual test of
Snellin's type.
The co-operation of the teachers in the discovery of
visual defects is invaluable and I have been able to report
cases to the Specialist where, if it were not for this
co-operation, the child would be left untreated until the
next routine inspection at twelve years of age. The use
of a plus-1 sphere in testing vision defects has been
found useful, but sometimes confusing. In the year
under review 18 children under the age of seven years
were examined and glasses prescribed through the Eye
Clinic.
The services go further than the treatment of the
defect present; the lighting in the schools; the posture
of the child in reading and writing are all taken into
consideration, and those children with glasses suitably
placed in the class when being taught from the blackboard.
Only by so doing shall we be able to control an
existing visual defect and obtain full benefit of the work
of the Eye Clinic. It is here that we find the co-operation
of the teachers so invaluable.
Orthopaedic Clinic.
This Clinic is held twice monthly, when a Consulting
Surgeon attends from the Royal National Orthopaedic
Hospital. A Masseuse attends five sessions a week, and
is in charge of remedial exercises, massage and sunlight
clinic.