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107
the conditions which prevailed in the early days of the
School Medical Service.
M trior Ailments and Diseases of the Shin.
There is little change to report on these conditions,
except perhaps that cases come under earlier treatment
than was previously the case, and that methods of treatment
have advanced as a consequence of experience gained.
The new Clinic at Bromley Common added to the facilities
of the School Medical Service, with the result that greater
numbers came under the professional treatments provided
at the Clinic.
Table IIa. shows the type of defect discovered and
treated, while Table IV. gives the actual treatments
carried out at the Medical Treatment Clinics. No less than
1,963 defects came under treatment during the year calling
for 6,549 attendances by the children concerned. All
cases requiring specialised treatment are referred to the
special clinics provided by the Local Education Authority,
or to local or London Hospitals. I would here like to
record my appreciation of the help and advice that we have
at. all times received from these special sources.
V isual Defects.
As approximately eight per cent, of children suffer
from defective vision it is of paramount importance that
discovery of defect should be early and treatment made
easily available. To cope with an ever increasing demand
for specialised treatment the number of eye clinics were
increased during the year, and Mr. Eric Lvle, Consulting
Ophthalmic Surgeon, found his time fully occupied. I
cannot speak too highly of his work and of the interest
lie devotes to the work of the services for the school child.
Mr. Lyle's report is included on page 111 of this report.
We are dependent upon Head Teachers to refer to us
children with doubtful vision, but it is still not infrequent
to find at routine medical inspection a child with severe
visual defect untreated and unsuspected. As children are
inspected only at entrance to school, again at the age of
seven years and also at twelve years of age, one can readily
understand that to depend only upon these inspections
would result in delay in treatment,