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47
Those children, who have errors of refraction, attend
the Clinic three times a day on the Monday and Tuesday
preceding the meeting, and also on the same morning, for
the purpose of having atropine ointment applied by the
School Nurse.
There were 382 attendances at the 19 sessions held
during the year, 155 being. new cases and 127 re-inspections.
Refractions numbered 100, and spectacles were prescribed
in 97 instances.
Parents are charged the cost price of spectacles, except
in really necessitous cases, when the Committee is prepared
to pay part or the whole cost of the same.
Children for whom spectacles are prescribed are reinspected
by the School Medical Officer when he visits the
Schools each term.
The number of children found at School without their
glasses is undoubtedly gradually diminishing, due to the
vigilance of the School Nurses, the termly re-inspection by
the School Medical Officer, and the co-operation of the
Teachers.
The Head Teachers are periodically sent lists of those
children who should have their glasses m constant wear.
(d) Dental Clinic.
During the year three sessions per School Week were
devoted to Dental Inspection and Treatment.
In all, 17 half-days were given to Inspection and 110
to Treatment.
When necessary, a session is devoted entirely to those
requiring a general anaesthetic, when the School Medical
Officer attends to administer the nitrous-oxide gas. There
were 177 gas cases during the year.
Owing to the long list of children awaiting treatment, it
was considered advisable to continue working on those aged
5, 6, and 7 rather than to re-inspect the children aged 8
and 9.
An additional session has become essential, and so it is
hoped to commence next year with four sessions per School
Week.
Mr. H. A. L. Morris, the School Dentist, reports as
follows :—
" During the year the time given to Inspections and
Treatment was three sessions of 2½ hours per School Week,
directed to children aged 5, 6, 7 and specials (i.e., children
not in the Routine Groups, referred by the School Medical