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119
REPORT OF THE OPHTHALMIC SURGEON.
To the School Medical Officer,
County Borough of East Ham,
Education Committee.
February, 1929.
Sir,
I have the honour to present my Sixth Annual Report.
During the past year I have examined 688 children for defective
vision. I also have under observation, apart from these, 710
children, and 197 no longer require supervision.
The work of the clinic divides itself into three main groups:—
(1) The treatment of cases of long sight—Hypermetropia—
for symptoms of headache and the complication of squint which
so frequently accompanies this condition. Operative treatment for
squint has been continued during the past year under difficulties.
The Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital has moved to a new
site in Broad Street, Bloomsbury, and a shortage of beds—acute
for many months—has not yet been overcome. However, I have
been able to admit 6 cases for operation with, I think, satisfactory
results.
(2) The treatment of cases of short sight—Myopia—developing
during the school period and dangerous because of their tendency
to get worse as the result of (a) Hereditary tendency (b)
Illnesses from which the children may suffer, (c) Pressure put upon
them by normal competition both in work and games.
I have been making a special study of cases of myopia attending
the clinic during the past five years and hoped to present a
special report on this matter, but the facts have taken longer to
collect than I anticipated, and I shall have, Sir, to present this
during the coming year.
(3) The treatment of cases of eye disease—chiefly external
eye disease, due to poor general health resulting from lack of fresh
air, food and sunlight, and dependent to a large extent upon overcrowding
and the conditions of the labour market.