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75
(c) Tuberculosis.
The arrangements for the treatment of Tuberculosis have
been continued on the lines fully set forth in my reports for
previous years.
(d) Skin Diseases.
For the most part these are treated at the General Clinic,
but some cases of chronic and of the rarer skin diseases are
referred to hospital.
The application of X-rays in cases of ringworm is performed
at the School Clinic, and 17 children received this form of treatment
during this year.
(e) External Eye Disease.
294 cases (224 in 1925) of external eye disease were treated at
the School Clinics. The observations of the School Ophthalmic
Surgeon, with regard to the best means of dealing with these
cases, will be found in his report on p. 90.
(f) Vision.
During the first half of the year 1926 the Ophthalmic Clinic
was held on three sessions per week, but in July it was decided
that this number should be reduced to two sessions per week,
although a large number of children were awaiting treatment.
In November the sessions were increased to five per fortnight, and
this arrangement remains in force.
790 cases were referred for treatment in respect of visual
defect during the year 1926 and, including a large number of
cases awaiting treatment at the termination of the year 1925, 844
cases have been treated in the past year. On the 31st of December,
1926, there were 195 children, with markedly defective vision,
who had not been seen by the Ophthalmic Surgeon. A waiting
list, such as this, results in considerable delay, and in many cases
a period of from three to four months intervenes between the
discovery of the defect and attendance for treatment. Unfortunately
it has not been possible to give an opportunity of attending
the Ophthalmic Clinic to the children with lesser degrees of visual
defect. There were 206 such cases discovered during the year and
it is hoped that these children will be dealt with as soon as the more
urgent cases have been treated.