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14
Another difficulty is the provision of school books with large
point type, i.e. say 18 to 24 point type, in contrast with the ordinary
school context book of 12 to 14 point type. An attempt has been
made to overcome this deficiency by the use of large lenses, but
not altogether satisfactorily. In the meantime, the shortage of
large point type text books continues in view of the expense involved
in their production both in quantity and variety.
(e) Orthoptic Clinic.—Mrs. K. S. Box, S.R.N., S.C.M.,
has contributed the following report on the work done at the Clinic:—
Number of patients treated for squint and heterophoria 64
Number discharged cured 26
Number improved 17
Still under treatment 21
Number of patients with amblyopia 18
Number discharged cured 15
Number improved 3
Number cured by operation 7
Number awaiting operation 2
Number of new cases 63
Total number of attendances 827
Of the total of six sessions per week, two were allocated to
patients from Ilford. The total number of attendances made by
Ilford patients was 416.
(/) Nose and Throat Defects.—146 Children received operative
treatment at Connaught Hospital during the year, as compared
with 181 in 1947.
(g) Ear Disease and Defective Hearing.—Ear Clinic. Dr.
Francis Clarke reports as follows:—
"The attendances at the weekly Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic
during 1948 have been well maintained and the majority of children
referred for a course of special treatment, such as diastolisation,
nasal douche and colloidal silver drops, tonsil treatment, ear suction
and acute otorrhoea, etc., have attended satisfactorily to complete
their treatments. In all only 22 cases failed to attend for the full
course, and of these some left school and some left the district.
"Looking over the figures in the returns for the year we find
in all school and pre-school children, only 21 cases of chronic
'running ears' and of these only 9 had complications accompanying
the otorrhoea, and of these last, two were chronic mastoid cases
which had previous operations. Of the total 12 were cured and
quite 'dry,' two had not fully completed their treatment by the
end of the year and three were referred to hospital for further operation.
All these 'cured' were treated by zinc ionisation.