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"The earphone is placed over one ear and when the gramophone
speaks the name of the object the child is expected to press the
picture of it down.
"The children take an interest in this 'game.' Those who fail
in this test are sent to the clinic to discover the cause of the defect
in hearing, and to remove it if possible.
"There are always certain obstacles to carrying out treatment.
For example, the place where the patient lives may be a long way
from the clinic; the mother may be attending hospital for herself
or for one of the other children; there may be several young children
who cannot be left unattended, or the mother may have to go to
work. To minimise these difficulties the mother is often lent the
apparatus used for treating the nose and instructed how to use it.
It is gratifying to find how frequently the mother or other relation
co-operates with the clinic to benefit the child.
"In the case of suppurative ears, as distinct from ears with
catarrhal inflammation, the strain on the mother is not so great as
a visit once a week is usually quite sufficient."
(g) Dental Defects.—Staffing.—Your Committee have considered
reports on the staffing of the School Dental Service in the
light of Circular 1444 issued by the Board of Education in January,
1936. This circular states that the ideal should be an initial dental
inspection of every child on its entry to school life, to be followed
by an annual re-examination until the child ceases to attend school.
The Board considers that the minimum standard should be one
dental surgeon to 5,000 children in an urban area. On this basis,
and allowing for the dental treatment of children attending secondary
and technical schools and of mothers and children under the
Maternity and Child Welfare Service, at least four dental surgeons
are required, i.e., a deficiency of one.
As long as this deficiency continues, the treatment of secondary
scholars—often not even resident in Walthamstow—is being carried
out at the expense of the children attending the elementary schools.
It is therefore pleasing to report the provisional decision to
allow for the appointment of an additional dental surgeon and
attendant during the financial year 1937-8.
Miss M. L. Maddick was appointed as dental attendant in
August, vice Miss A. Bacon.