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a more fully comprehensive dental service for the school children
of the Borough.
The daily average attendance at this clinic has been remarkably
good. As there was urgent need of conservative and orthodontic
treatment owing to previous shortage of dental staff, this has been
undertaken on a comparatively large scale.
It has been difficult during this period to carry out full dental
inspections owing to the amount of work involved in making
children, under treatment, dentally fit.
Maternity and Child Welfare dental clinics have also been well
attended. In total 450 children under school age. nursing and
expectant mothers, have been attended to. the latter receiving full
dental treatment, including provision of dentures.
The Head Teachers in the area have been most co-operative
and have facilitated the work.
Details of inspections and treatment appear in the Statistical
Tables at the end of the main report."
OPHTHALMIC CLINIC.
I am indebted to Dr. Eric Lyle for this report:—
"The Eye Clinic has continued to be held regularly on three
half days per week throughout the year.
The total number of new cases examined was 300. and the
total number of cases re-inspected was 986. These figures are not
quite up to last year's standard because of illness during the early
part of the year which necessitated a certain number of sessions
being cancelled. They are not far behind when one considers that
there were 48 more new cases examined this year than last year.
The drop occurred in cases for re-inspection, there were 129 less
than last year. The total drop is therefore only 81.
The work has consisted mainly of Squint management cases
and Refraction cases, though patients with various other eye defects
and diseases have been diagnosed and treated satisfactorily.
Parents have co-operated well in all ways except one. This
exception is the appalling unpunctuality of the cases in the early
part of Friday afternoons. This causes undue waiting for the
patients with appointments later in the afternoon. This matter is
my only criticism, otherwise the Clinic runs smoothly. It is only
by the efforts of the parents and children that the unpunctuality
can be cured.
I should like to express my sincere thanks to the Clerical
staff for the wonderful help and support that I always get from
them. Co-operation is obviously their watchword and no words
of praise and thanks could be enough for them. Without their
efficient administration the work could be very difficult, as it is the
Clinic goes along in the happiest possible atmosphere."