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115
almost opaque and although considerable clearing takes place,
much scarring results in the centre, leading to considerable reduction
in the visual acuity which is permanent. During my period of
work in East Ham several of these cases have been admitted into
hospital for special treatment under me. They have been given
the usual injections prescribed for this condition, but at the same
time the inflammatory intraocular fluids have been tapped and
allowed to escape from within the eyeball, through an incision
made at the corneal margin. This treatment has met with very
considerable success. In one of the cases during the past year
the attack was checked in the affected eye and the second eye did
not become involved.
The above are some of the cases of external eye disease which
have been seen and treated in the clinic. During the last year
57 new cases presented themselves. Many of these, especially
those of lid infection (Blepharitis), Conjunctivitis, and Corneal
Ulceration, are due to infection from the hair, hands and clothing
in children, whose general health has been undermined by overcrowding,
and chronic poisoning from the teeth, tonsils and
adenoids. They will eventually disappear from our list of school
diseases, but they would be of infinitely more frequent occurrence
but for the work of the school nurses whose work in the clinics
and schools is, from my point of view, beyond praise.
I would lastly speak, Sir, of my work in connection with the
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics. I see cases referred to me
from Dr. Elsie Thomson for half the time occupied by one session
each week. One of her health visitors, usually the senior one,
attends, and I send a personal report to Dr. Thomson on each
case, so that she may be able to maintain touch as to what is
being done. As I mentioned last year, this work divides itself
into the following :—
(a) Advising on the treatment of incipient squint.
(b) Treating external eye disease.
(c) Advising on cases of congenital malformation of the eyes.
During the last year I have seen 57 cases of squint. Of these
cases 27 are definitely improved, in many the deformity has
disappeared to recur slightly when the child's health is depressed