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70
SPECIAL CLINICS.
Ophthalmic Clinic.
During the year 1952, the School Oculist held 210 sessions for the
refraction of children suffering from defective vision (103 at Valentines,
99 at Mayesbrook and 8 at Manford Way). Full details of the work are
given in Table IV, Group II.
3,540 attendances (1,709 at Valentines Clinic. 1699 at Mayesbrook
Clinic and 132 at Manford Way Clinic) were made by 1,711 schoolchildren
(831 at Valentines Clinic, 805 at Mayesbrook Clinic and 75 at Manford
Way), as compared with 1,455 schoolchildren in 1951.
The 1,711 children were not all suffering from grave defects of vision.
The following table shows the vision in the worst eye, as tested by Snellen's
Type:—
6/6 6/9 6/12 6/8 6/24 6/60 6/60 less than
357 278 339 286 154 167 81 49
The children who saw 6/6 (practically normal vision) were suffering from
symptoms such as headaches, inflamed eyelids, etc., which rendered further
examination necessary.
The 1,711 children were found to be suffering from the following
defects: —

A—Valentines. B--Mayesbrook. *C—Manford Way.
(*The Ophthaimic Clinic opened on 17th March, 1952)
1,156 complete pairs of spectacles were provided, some of these being
renewals after breakages. In addition, in 325 cases the lenses of spectacles
were replaced or repairs of frames were carried out.
T. J. Regal (Mrs.), M.D., D.O.M.S., the Ophthalmic Surgeon at
Valentines Clinic makes the following report:—
"The majority of children had defective sight due to refractive
errors and of these a fair proportion had also a squint. All these
cases are seen at regular intervals and are kept under observation all
during their school life.
In addition to these the following conditions came under observation
and received treatment at the Clinic or were referred to hospitals: